A Twist of Fate
by Ladyvader
Summary: TOTALLY REVISED! Brought Together by Friendship, Brought closer through Love, Torn apart by Tragedy. Jean fled the institute after a personal tragedy. Now years later she returns, to face Scott, her past, and her future with Warren. COMPLETED!
1. Chapter One

**It's _A Twist of Fate_...Totally Revamped!**

**Yeah so, I've done some revising on this story. Alot of the content in the chapter is the same, however I've changed things around a little bit, I've revisioned it. Each chapter has been revised and in a few chaptersI even added new scenes, to the story to make it fill better. I fixed a few time gaps and made it all flow better. It took me some time, but this definitely works better, I believe.**

Also, I'm still working on a Jott/LoRo/Romy fic, but I've had a lack of muse for it lately, so I looked back on my older fics and this one I just _had_ to change a little bit. I definitely believe this is a better version, and I would encourage you to read it, even if you've read it before, I'd ask you to kindly read it again.

So without further ado,

Please continue to read this, every chapter has been changed so if you could, please try and read the entire thing,and please drop a review by and let me know what you think. I re-read this and I definitely think it flows _sooo_ much better...Please be gracious and drop by and let me know your thoughts!

Thanks and Happy Reading!

PhoenixPhreak

* * *

** A TWIST OF FATE **

**Chapter One**

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"Good morning New York, this is KC your DJ comin' at ya live from the Big Apple. Currently it's 64 degrees out there in NYC not to cold not to hot it's just perfect for those of you…"

Jean turned around and telekinetically pushed the sleep button on the radio alarm. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, than sat up on her bed and stretched.

"It's about time you woke up sleeping beauty." A voice said from across the room.

Jean looked up as Warren entered. She noticed he was wearing a suit with the jacket hanging over his shoulder.

"What time is it?"

"Seven-Thirty." Warren replied coming towards her to give her a peck on the cheek.

"What time did you get up?" She mumbled tiredly.

"Seven. I have to be in the office around Eight today."

Warren replied as he walked toward his closet and stopped by the mirror to straighten his tie.

"That early?" Jean asked getting up from the bed.

"Unfortunately yes, some sort of business deal or something. You know, they'd hate to have to negotiate without me present."

Jean nodded as she started to walk towards the bathroom.

"Hey I got something for you." Warren said as he grabbed something out of his closet.

She stopped in mid-walk and turned to face him as he handed her a large flat white box.

She stared at it for a minute, as she took it from his grasp. "What is it?"

"Just open it." Warren said flashing her his boyish smile.

Jean looked up at Warren mischievously, than down at the box as she opened it.

She stared at the contents inside. "Oh! Warren this is beautiful! Thank you."

She pulled out the black dress, and caught a glimpse of the tag. It said 'Christian Dior'.

"Your welcome Jean." He smiled at her obvious glee. " Hey! Why don't you wear it do dinner tonight?" He added.

"Dinner?" She asked him quizzingly. She didn't remember them discussing going out to dinner tonight.

"Yeah just the two of us. I made reservations at _'Pierre's_."

That was the local French Eatery; similar to an _Olive Garden_ but Jean would say it was even more prestigious than that. It was a quiet restaurant, founded by a Frenchman named Pierre'. He moved to the United States in the '40's and he wanted a quiet, romantic restaurant to take his wife too. Somewhere like where they would go to eat back in their native France. Since no such thing existed in the city at the time, he created it. It was now more commonly known as a restaurant where the well to do, the wealthy, dined.

She thought for a second, than nodded. "Okay, I'll wear it."

"Good and I should be home by…five…" He estimated, "So we'll leave at seven."

Warren threw on his suit jacket and kissed her on the cheek. "Okay, I got to go. Love ya hon."

Jean watched as he left. She thought she heard his cellphone go off. He sure was one busy guy.

But than again, she knew _Worthington Enterprises_ couldn't run itself. And with Warren in the position as CEO and Founder's Son, therefore heir to the enterprise, she understood. Yet still, she couldn't even remember the last time he hadn't left early and come home late. Most of the time, she was by herself.

She looked around the huge apartment they shared. It got very lonely at times.

Of course she held down a job. She was a model. She modeled mostly clothes but she had been in _Victoria's Secret _a couple of times, and various other magazines whenever the demand arose.

The good thing about her job, was that she didn't work on Thursdays and weekends. Well that was what she wanted anyway, but some weekends she did get called in on emergencies.

She was still enrolled in college and of course living with Warren meant she didn't need the money to pay the rent, but working had an effect on her…sometimes it helped her to just put the past behind her and move on, to forget it all.

A couple of years ago, after graduation Bayville Highschool, she had been accepted to New York University along with Kitty and Rogue.

That is where she had ran into Warren. She knew of him, of course, like all the X-men did. They had worked missions with him before. She thought he was cute, but nothing else.

At the time she was seeing someone else, Scott Summers. He was her best friend actually. He had helped her through some hard times and she he. But at the time of her college acceptance, things had become different and very difficult for her to live with.

Scott had decided upon staying at the Mansion instead of going off to college like most members of the graduation X-men. As far as she knew, to this very day, he was still there.

She still kept in touch with Ororo. She was her best girlfriend. And of course living in the same city as Rogue and Kitty she was in almost constant touch with both. Rogue and Kitty shared a dorm on the college grounds. Jean, herself, was a class ahead of them so she rarely ever saw the two during classes, but she did see them afterwards. They'd catch a bite to eat or just sit down to catch up over steamed java. Nothing too big, all three women had lives and jobs, so they met up only when could fit the time in.

She had met Warren when he worked with the X-men, but he didn't want to join the team. She was disappointed along with everyone pretty much, but Warren had shown in interest in seeing her again, and getting to know Jean better.

This was before _everything_ that had happened to her and she was very, contently, happy with Scott. She declined Warren's offer to take her out to dinner, making it clear that she was with Scott. He was pleasant about the whole thing though, understanding her position, but still wanting to maintain their friendship. She agreed and offered to maybe reschedule the dinner for sometime in the future when they met up again.

It was a couple years until she saw Warren again. She had come into the city with Kitty and Rogue to begin college courses. She ran into Warren at the local _Starbucks_ during intermission of classes. They sat down, caught up on the past couple of years, and noticing how distressed she seemed, he reminded her of the dinner date she had yet to take him up on.

She found him cute, charming, and his beautiful blue eyes mesmerized her. She needed something good in her life, something exciting, something so totally _different_ from Scott. So she accepted and they went out to dinner the next night.

Somehow Scott had heard about her run in with Warren and that they were meeting up for dinner. She knew how Scott felt about that. He still cared about her. But nevertheless, she continued to accept Warren's dinner invitations.

It was strictly platonic, two friends meeting up for dinner. She needed a friend, someone to talk to. Warren was sympathetic and understanding. Just what she needed. In the ways that counted he reminded her so much of Scott, but he _wasn't_ Scott, he was different from Scott, and she liked knowing that. She felt good knowing that Warren wasn't her rebound guy. That maybe he really was something special. And he treated her so good, like a princess.

About a month after, they had started dating. And a couple months after that, Warren had asked her to move in with him. She accepted immeadiately, but she heard from Kitty that Scott was heartbroken about it.

Maybe in a way, she had been too, but at that time, what Scott felt didn't matter to her. It had all made sense back then, but she hated to dwell on that period of her life now. She liked to believe that she had grown passed all that with Warren's help.

Warren. Dinner. Tonight.

She sighed as she dropped her dress on the bed, and walked into the bathroom to take a shower.

* * *

The driver of the limo stepped on the brakes as the car stopped by the entrance to _Pierre's_ _Restaurant_. Underneath the neon sign it read that the restaurant liked to pride itself on _Delicate French Dining._ In other words, Jean knew that meant, _Quiet_ and _Romantic_.

Warren stepped out of the car and opened the door for Jean. Warren told the driver that he could park the car and get something to eat as well. The driver nodded as the limo sped away.

Warren smiled and put out his arm and Jean held onto it as they walked up to the entrance.

The restaurant was bustling with crowds of richly dressed people.

The couple walked up to the receptionist. He was short and mostly bald. He was wearing a red vest, with a gray shirt underneath. He looked so out of place working in a restaurant such as this. No black tie tuxedo, no thin French curled mustache. He also seemed very unenthusiastic as he asked, "May I help you?"

"Table for two under Worthington." Warren answered flashing his million-dollar smile.

The receptionist looked up at Warren than down at his book.

"Worthington you said, hmm…"

There was a short pause as he looked over his book and recited off names. "Wagoner, Woolrey, Worden, Uh, here it is, Worthington."

He put his finger on the name, than crossed it out with a pen.

"Follow me, sir." He got off his stool and grabbed two menus, leading them into the dining room.

"Here's your table sir," He said setting down the menus. "If you need anything the waiters will attend to you."

The man sounded drained, as if these were recited words, and Warren was sure they were, part of the job description perhaps, and he was also sure the man had been reciting them all night.

Warren nodded and the man spun around and headed wearily back to the booth.

He pulled out a seat for Jean and than sat down himself, on the other side of the small round table.

Jean smiled and glanced around the dimly lit, quite area. Burning candles lined the walls and each table had one candle slowly burning, with a vase of two roses.

"This is nice Warren. It's wonderful, I …" Jean smiled as a cute, tanned Latino set down two wine glasses on the table and filled them with a _Merlot _of some sort, whatever was in his wine bottle.

"Thank you." She said as the Latino moved the filled glasses to set one next to her and than Warren. She watched as he smiled in acknowledgment and left.

"Jean, Um, in case you're wondering, I did ask you to dinner tonight for a reason." Warren started.

"Actually, I uh, have something I want to ask you." He said grasping Jean's hand from across the table.

Jean was surprised at his suddenness, but not alarmed. She shrugged slightly.

"Sure Warren, anything."

"Okay. Well, I've been thinking for quite some time that we've been together for a while now. And I've come to realize that I really like coming home to see you there. We have a lot of fun together. You light up my life, you've made me want to live, more than anyone ever has. Everyday, I love waking up to see you. Jean, you're the best thing in my life, I can't picture my life without you in it. I love you more than anything."

Warren pulled out a small velvet case. He held it out across the table from Jean. He opened the lid, and held it out toward her.

"Will you marry me?"

Jean was speechless. She hadn't expected him to propose to her, but than again that would explain a lot of why he had seemed nervous lately, on edge.

"Oh my god…" She trailed off quietly. Now she _was_ surprised. "Warren I…" She really truly didn't know what to say.

Was she ready for this? Of course not. Definitely not. She had fun with him too, she loved Warren, but unlike him, she hadn't been considering marriage. The thought hadn't even really occurred to her.

But she knew why. She also knew that there were some things in her past that she hadn't told Warren. He knew from the get go what had transpired between Scott and her. When they first ran into each other, she was so distressed, she needed to talk to someone and he was there. She had told him everything of what made her runaway, of what made her want to get away. From the mansion, her life as an X-men and most importantly, what made her want to get away from _Scott_.

It wasn't an easy story to say the absolute least, but Warren understood her, he got it, and he still wanted to see her afterwards. And now, at this very moment, he wanted to _be with_ her, tomorrow, next month, the rest of his life, _forever_. She just wasn't sure if she was ready to make that commitment.

Warren knew all about her past, at least so he _thought_. But she hadn't told him _everything_. She told him what happened to her, but she hadn't told him all the _details_. She supposed if he knew now what she had never told him, he'd understand her hesitance to run for the alter.

So why didn't she tell him? She wasn't quite sure. Scott was her first everything, that much she knew, and so did Warren, he knew what she had experienced with Scott. But what he didn't know was that by everything she meant _everything_.

She sighed as her heart raced in her chest and rapidly moving thoughts rushed through her mind.

He wanted this very much. She didn't even have to be a telepath and read his mind to know that. She could tell just by looking into his deep blue eyes. He loved her, she was _very_ sure of his love, he treated her well, that she had already established, she had fun with him, he was different than anyone she had been with before, and although some of his qualities reminded her of her Ex, he _wasn't_ Scott, and just by saying Yes, that didn't mean that what happened in her past relationship would happen with Warren.

So they would be engaged. There was no rule that said they had to marry right away.

She only had two semesters left before she completed college. She was sure Warren would wait for her, he would wait a couple more years before they officially christened Miss Grey to Mrs. Worthington.

Jean knew that if she said No, she'd be breaking Warren's heart, and maybe hers as well. In addition, afterwards things could get tense between them, and she didn't want that. She didn't _need_ that; she _got away_ from all _that._ She couldn't do that, not to Warren and especially to herself. She couldn't experience anymore pain.

But if she said yes, She'd be spending the rest of her life with Warren. And even that thought surprised her. What was wrong with that? Obviously something was for her to even think that. What would be so wrong with spending her life with Warren?

Nothing.

She broke out into a small broad smile as tears glistened her jade eyes. She bit her bottom lip as she suppressed all the emotions that ran through her and managed to give him her answer.

"Yes, Warren, I'll marry you." She said the joy of the moment suddenly overwhelming her and she smiled ecstatically as she leaned over to kiss him.

The tears fell from her eyes than, and her voice dropped to a hushed whisper. "I'll marry you." She repeated amongst glad tears.

Somewhere inside of her, she felt a panging stab of guilt. What did she have to be guilty about? That had been a long time ago. They were young and foolish, but so much in love, and that right there, was their downfall. She had to get Scott out of her life now. She _needed_ to.

Jean drew back as Warren took the ring out of the box and placed it on her finger.

"Now it's official." He said looking up at her, eyes glimmering with his emotion.

He joyously picked up his previously untouched wineglass. "To the future, Mrs. Worthington."

He toasted them as their glasses 'clinked'.

Warren said something to her than, but his voice faded as Jean's thoughts raced.

Engaged to Warren, Wow, she'd be Jean Grey-Worthington.

Her mood fell. She didn't know why, the name had a certain 'click' to it. But as the named raced over and over in her mind, it just didn't sound right.

Not as right as Jean Grey-Summers had. Yeah, that was why. Maybe she wasn't as over with it as she thought she was. She _had_ to move past it though, she _had _to, she had no choice. That was years ago, back before-

Jean cut her stream of thoughts short. She couldn't think about that. She didn't need to. As long ago as that was, it was still painful for her to bear.

That didn't matter anymore. As far as she was concerned it was a different lifetime and maybe it had mattered than, but this is what she chose _now_, a lifetime with Warren, that's what she _wanted_.

She loved Warren and this is where her life with him begins. She finally convinced herself.

"What do you think Jean? Jean?" Warren's voice interrupted Jean's thoughts.

She snapped back to reality. "Huh? Um, sorry, I was caught up in my thoughts. Wh-What did you say?"

"I said I was thinking, if it was alright with you, that it would be great if we could get married at the institute."

"The institute? Uh, X-Xavier's institute?" Jean stammered slightly, not expecting to hear _that._

Warren smiled at his bride to be, she was so happy she was overwhelmed.

He chuckled. "Yes _that_ institute."

"Any, uh, particular reason?" She asked.

"Well…" He started.

"I know a lot of your friends are living there. And I was thinking you would like to share the day with those you love."

She shook her head slowly. "Warren…I…You know about my history there…You know that--"

He nodded. "—Yeah I know. But what better way that to put the past and the pain behind you than to start anew at the very place it happened?"

He leaned across the table to talk quietly to her. He grasped her hand once again and his eyes met hers, and she could see the deep care in them.

"Look, Jean, we won't do it if you don't want to. That's fine with me. I don't care where we marry, as long as I'm marrying _you_. But in this case, I thought it would be best for you, for _us_, to start our life that way. I know you love your friends, and I have nothing but the utmost respect for Charles Xavier, and I would like it if he could be there as well. I know you want that too."

"Of course I do. But Scott--"

"What about him? That's in the past."

"I know. But I still care about him."

"Okay, and I'm sure he cares about you. He'd want nothing more than to see you happy, sweetheart."

She sighed, letting his words calm her nerves. "You're right, Warren. I don't have anything to be worried about. I mean it's not like we're marrying tomorrow."

He smiled. "No we're not. As far as setting a date is concerned, whenever you're ready."

She nodded and couldn't help but feel touched. He was so considerate of her and her feelings.

"I guess it would save money and I know the professor will help out budget wise. And I would love to have everyone there. So… Yeah. Okay. That's where we'll plan to have our wedding." She smiled.

He smiled back. "Jean, I'm so happy right now."

She nodded. "I know."

"Well I guess it's all settled than, huh? We'll just ah…we'll wait until after you finish college to plan further and we'll hold the wedding at the institute." He clarified.

She just nodded.

He took his hand away from hers and leaned back into his chair.

He sighed, as he opened the menu. "Well I suppose we should order now, huh? I'm starving." He said looking over the contents of the folder.

Jean smiled contently; it was good to see him so happy.

She did the same and picked up her menu and held it towards her tear-ridden face.

Out of view from Warren, she wiped away her tears.

She was so overwhelmed with emotions right now that she wasn't quite sure whether her tears were those of joy… or tears of sadness.

* * *

**So yes! Click the little button to your right there and continue on to read the second chapter...It's _all_ been revised! So please don't turn back, I'm telling you, you won't regret reading through it!**


	2. Chapter Two

**A TWIST OF FATE**

**Chapter Two**

The next morning played out as usual, the alarm sounded, Jean shut it off, and woke up to see that Warren was almost ready to go to work.

She smiled. "Good morning." She fumbled, still half-asleep.

He smiled broadly and leaned over the bed, his hands resting on the mattress on both sides of her body.

"Hi." He replied kissing her fully on the lips.

He broke away and the kiss lingered.

She held her hand to his cheek. "Sure you can't stay?" She asked.

He bit his bottom lip, playfully debating the question. "You know I can't. I have to go to work. And so do you." He reminded her.

She let her head fall back on the pillow disappointedly. "Ugh, I know."

"I'll see you after work."

He said kissing her on the cheek.

He walked away from the bed, put on his suit jacket, grabbed his briefcase, and turned around from the doorway.

"I love you." He said.

She frowned slightly and looked to him for a moment, he'd never turned to say that before leaving for work.

"I know." She replied, to reassure him.

She watched as he slowly turned and walked out the doorway, leaving the apartment.

Stretching her legs out on the bed, she stretched her left arm out and stared at the diamond on her ring finger. It glistened when touched to the light. It was beautiful.

She sighed and snapped back to reality and stole a glance towards the clock. She gave out a reluctant groan as she realized she should get up to prepare for work.

* * *

Jean came home exhausted. Dumping her purse, keys and other belongings on the counter to her right, she prepared to plot down wearily on the couch. She was surprised to see the couch was already occupied; Warren was home early and typing on his laptop setting on the coffee table. 

"Warren! What are you doing home already?" She asked.

He looked up from the computer and smirked.

"Well, I _am_ CEO of the place, and I _am_ capable of coming home early." He said as he stood up.

His voice lowered. "Under certain circumstances of course."

She smiled and lowered her tone of voice to match his. "And what would those be?"

Keeping the quiet tone he continued. "Oh you know, family emergencies, sickness…my engagement." He finished slowly as he neared her.

"Oh really? That's an emergency?" She asked playfully.

"Well, not really. But they don't need to know that." He said wrapping his arms around her waist.

She frowned playfully. "So why is it you're home early?"

"I dunno, I guess I couldn't wait to come home early and spend some time with my lovely _fiancée._" He said tightening his embrace around her and capturing her lips with his.

"Mmm…" Jean murmured as they parted. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "You should leave early more often." She added with a smile.

He smiled too. "So how was your day? Work?" He asked as he moved away from her and back to the couch and the laptop.

"Exhausting. I told the girls our news and they just wouldn't leave me alone. They all knew I was dating you of course, I must have been asked at least 20 questions. I had to take the ring off just so they would stop hanging over me and I could get a shoot done. Oh buy the way, how many karats are in this ring?" Jean asked showing him her left hand.

He shrugged. "Six point Eight. Why?"

She shook her head. "No reason really. It's just all the girls made a bet on how many karats were in it. I'm telling you, they handed over cash like you cannot believe. Picture this: Twenty girls in swimsuit bikinis. Where do you think they'd put their cash? I was in a bikini too and I couldn't even believe it. I mean I wouldn't even think about putting my money in places like _that_."

"You may not believe this, but I actually know where they keep the cash, See what they do is…" He started explaining to her playfully.

"Warren! Warren! Please stop! It was a rhetorical question. You don't need to tell me." She said giggling.

"I was there, I know. And I really wish I didn't know." She said as she was telekinetically filling a glass of water. She levitated the glass over to her and drank from it.

"Anyway, how do _you _know where they keep their cash?" She asked sitting on the coffee table next to the laptop.

He glanced up at her. "Trust me, Jean, You really don't want to know." He said with a smirk.

"You're right, I don't." She said setting the glass down.

She glanced up at him as he stood up and took his shirt to reveal his large white wings.

Warren fluxed his shoulders causing his wings to flutter. "That feels better."

He said rubbing his shoulders. "I hate having to conceal my wings."

He bent over to briefly kiss Jean on the lips. "If you need me I'll be in the den." He said grabbing a towel and walking towards the other end of the apartment.

Jean knew Warren was going to go exercise and probably work on business stuff. That's what he did in the den, mostly he exercised on the equipment, but the room was also furnished with a cherry red oak desk and a couple of bookshelves for Warren's work purposes.

A 'bing' sent her thoughts away from Warren to the computer screen in front of her.

An instant message window popped up on the computer screen from 'Shadowcat17'

Jean wrote back than pressed enter as her screen name appeared in the box next to 'Shadowcat17'.

She wondered if she should tell Kitty about her engagement to Warren. It was a little soon, having been engaged just last night, but she thought Why not? She had nothing to be ashamed of. And Kitty would be everything short of ecstatic.

But than again if you want something left in the greatest of secrecy, you _don't_ tell Kitty.

* * *

"_Oh my gosh! Like, I'm so excited for you guys!_" Kitty wrote back on her laptop after hearing Jean's good news. 

Before Kitty could write anymore, with a door slamming sound, her computer shut off.

"Like, hey! What's the deal?" She shouted at the blank screen as she jumped off the bed to examine her computer.

"Oh, man! I forgot it had low battery charge. Like, great! Now I have to charge it." She said annoyed as she grabbed her laptop off the bed and placed it on her desk, plugging in the charger.

"What are you so upset about?" said a voice coming in the room. Kitty could recognize Rogue's southern accent any day. Sharing a dorm with Rogue was just like sharing a room with Rogue, a pain in the butt.

"My computer battery died, so now I have to charge it for like, five hours."

"That's too bad since you've only been on it like all mornin'." Rogue answered less than sympathetic.

"And you have something else I should be doing?" Kitty asked as she glared sideways at Rogue.

Rogue walked toward her dresser and picked up a book and plopped down on her bed in the dorm.

"Yeah right. All ya' ever do is talk, talk, talk. If it weren't for that machine quieting you up I'd be forced to touch you just to shut you up. This Mornin' was very peaceful."

"I suppose you don't want to know what Jean told me before my computer shut off?" Kitty asked, a little insulted by Rogue's comment.

" 'Course not. If I was that interested in what Jean was doing, I'd take the time to go and see her mahself."

"You don't even want to hear that Jean is _engaged_ to _Warren_." Kitty crossed her arms and pursed her lips.

"Well now ya just told mah!" She grumbled. She glanced up at Kitty who was staring at her expectantly.

"What more do ya want me ta say Kat? It's not like it's the news of the century. She's been datin' the flyboy for a couple years now."

"Well couldn't you just say something nice for a change? Instead of being so rude."

"Ah'm sorry, Ah wasn't aware Ah was being _rude_. Tell me what Ah said that was rude. Ah said nothin'!"

"That's the point." Kitty shot back.

"Ya know, spare me your mouth, Ah got places to be." Rogue said waving her hand in a dismissive gesture as she got up from the bed.

"Maybe you could congratulate them. Like, you know, for a change." Kitty yelled after Rogue who was walking towards the door.

"Bite me." Came Rogue's reply as she slammed the door. That was how Rouge ended most if not all, their arguments.

Kitty just took it as a sign that she won.

"Don't think I didn't hear that!" Kitty yelled at the door.

* * *

"Hey Jean what are ya writing?" Warren asked coming out of the den wiping his face with a towel. 

"I guess I just finished Instant Messaging Kitty. She disconnected from the net." She replied shutting the lid on the laptop.

"So how's everything on the NYU grounds?" Warren asked.

"Everything seems to be doing good. You know Kitty's pretty excited with only a week left in this semester. She can't wait to get a break from all the homework."

"Well since we're on the subject of taking breaks, I've been thinking about your semester ending, and I know Rogue and Kitty spend their time at the institute, and I was thinking that this year we could do the same."

"Huh? Oh I don't know Warren…" Jean said shaking her head, doubtful.

"No really." Warren said trying to convince her.

"I'll pull a few strings at work and get the time off as well. If we wanted we could spend the whole week there. I mean there's a couple weeks in between semesters for you and business is doing alright, I've got guys that I could leave it with for a few weeks anyway. We could stay until Worthington Industries picks up during the summer months and you could lay off your job until then…I mean it's not like you couldn't get it back. I do _own_ the majority of magazines you model for."

"It's not that Warren, it's just…I don't know if I'm ready to go back."

"Jean, I really want you to get through this. But it's been _two_ years, you can't keep hiding from it. It's something that happened, just take it in stride and move on."

"I _have_ moved on, Warren."

"Okay, than show me. Let's go to the institute for the week. We don't have to stay any longer than that."

"Well putting it that way, I guess I really don't have a choice do I?"

He nodded. "Yes you do, but I believe this is what's best for you. Don't you think?"

She shrugged. "I just have so many memories there, so much of my life was spent there. I grew up there…I experienced so much there. I just don't want to go back and experience that pain again."

What she wanted to say, but didn't say, _couldn't_ say, infront of Warren, was that _everything_ was there for her. _Every _first experience she had, she had while living in the institute. It was something to cherish for sure, but it had also become something for her to fear, and she didn't want to.

"You know, I guess, maybe it _is_ in my best interest, as far as healing goes. I think it could help, yes, I mean I've put that all behind me, that's not who I am anymore, so I shouldn't worry about it."

Warren leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "That's right. I'll inform the limo driver to pick up Rouge and Kitty as well, we can drive to the institute together."

He got up to change his clothes and Jean watched him leave.

She stared at the closed computer lid and sighed. She shut her eyelids tightly as she suppressed the tears coming to her eyes.

* * *

**Well there you go! Second chapter down! I'm so happy I revised this. I really enjoyed reading it over again, but I just feel good. It reads better now, everything can _flow_...**


	3. Chapter Three

** A TWIST OF FATE**

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**Chapter Three**

****

"Hey Scott vait up!" Kurt ran across the institute's freshly mowed lawn as he stuffed the last bite of a jelly doughnut into his mouth.

Scott was walking to his car, tossing his keys in the air. He reached his car and turned when he heard Kurt's voice shouting after him.

"What is it Kurt?" He asked, his fingers resting on the car's door handle.

"Guess vhat I just heard?"

Scott shrugged, "What from Kitty? Look Kurt if this is just some--"

"—Nein, nein." Kurt interrupted shaking his head. That was his native German for 'no.'

"I heard through ze _grapevine_ zat Jean vis coming vith ze girls zis veekend, now zat classes are breaking for ze summer veek."

Grapevine. Uh huh, in other words that meant Kitty.

Scott had to admit that he was surprised Jean was coming along. In two whole years of breaks and summer vacations, she had not _once_ come along with Kitty and Rogue. So this was surprising to hear, but it didn't totally knock him off his feet.

He shrugged as he replied; "Well that's good."

"Ja, but zere's more. Varren Vorthington is coming vith her."

"Warren Worthington? As in Angel?"

"Ja, Ja…zat's ze one. She's living vith him, you know."

Scott nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Not too happy about it, but it's not like I can do anything. It's her life."

He didn't understand why Warren would come. Sure he was…_dating_…her…and of course he didn't _like_ it. But if he recalled correctly the blond haired heir had a business to run.

Scott frowned. "Okay so wh--"

Scott started to ask why Warren was accompanying her, when Kurt interrupted anticipating Scott's question.

"Vhy you ask, is Mr. Vorthington coming? Vell Jean vouldn't come vithout her _fiancée_, now, vould she?"

Behind his glasses, Scott's eyes grew wide and he eyebrows shot up in amazement.

"_What?_"Scott spat out forcefully. "She's _engaged_ to _him_? Is _that_ what you said?"

Kurt grinned. "Ja…ze typical reaction. Trust me mien friend I vas as blown avay as you are."

"But _why_? Why him, why Worthington? I mean, for _two_ years she's gone, she totally disappears from us, and we wouldn't know anything about her if it weren't for Kitty! It's ridiculous Kurt! It's unbelievable! I mean what is she gonna do, just show up here after all this time and share her _wedding plans_? I mean C'mon! You don't believe this, do you?" Scott ranted to his best friend.

"Vell…mien fraud…zere's still more…."

"_More_?" Scott repeated. "What is there left to say, what more is there?"

"Ja…um zay say zat ze vedding…ze vedding… vill be here."

"Here? At the mansion?" Scott clarified, certainly dumbfounded.

"Ja…zis very one."

"But-Wait a minute…She's not getting married _this week_ is she?" Scott asked.

Kurt shook his head. "Nein, Nein. Kitty tells me zey're vaiting until Jean completes college."

Scott sighed, relived. "At least that's something good to hear. Kurt are you sure this is all legit or is it just a rumor?"

"Nein, it is definitely not a vumor."

Scott sighed and leaned his back against his car.

"Has she completely lost her mind? I don't understand! Why didn't she call…or get in touch with me somehow? I mean it's been years, we haven't talked since that night—"

"--I understand zis must be quiet a shocker to you Scott. I zink all of us are pretty shocked but ah…for you…Zis must be quite somezing to hear."

Scott straightened his pose. "It's beyond that! I just… I don't…I always thought…Uh…I dunno." Scott stammered trying to find the words to explain what he was feeling.

"I can't zay I know vhat you're feeling, but even for me it's not easy to forget vhat happened between you two. I mean at ze time za vhole mansion vas feeling for you guys, ve all ver're. And zan to vatch vhat happened between Jean and you…to vatch your relationship deteriorate like it did, zat vas not easy for any of us."

"Yeah, I know. I know, Kurt. I know. That's all in the past now, you now? But even so…I still don't…I mean an _engagement_? I mean shouldn't that bring up some old feelings? Shouldn't that bring up _something_ in her? If I was her…I'd at least want to _talk_ to _me_."

"Not to state ze obvious, but it's just a possibility zat maybe Jean has moved on?"

"Moved on?" Scott repeated.

"Ja, like maybe she's vorked through all her issues and now vhenever anyzing reminds her of you or her past she can feel confident instead of all ze pain."

"What? Are you saying _I_ haven't moved past it?"

"Vell not in so many vords…but look at it zis vay, she hasn't talked to you about Varren, yet she's coming here to visit, vith him in tow. It's quite possible that she's _showing _us she's moved on. Scott it's been two years man, I zink maybe it's time you let her go."

Scott sulked his back to lean against his car. "I thought I had moved on…moved past it."

"Vell if you feel zat you haven't, somezing must be holding you back. Vhat you vant through vas a very traumatic experience. It's gonna take zome time. But she's had time to heal and move past it and I zink you have to consider zat."

"Well, yeah, maybe deep down I'm still a little hurt about it all…the wounds are still there…I don't know if they'll ever truly heal. I mean what am I supposed to do, Kurt? I don't' know what to do about it. "

"Zat vasn't exactly vhat I meant. It's understandable if you still feel hurt, I can understand zat. But it is another zing to keep holding onto Jean."

"I'm not-

"--Ja you are." Kurt interrupted him.

"Vith all za history you share vith her, do you veally zink zat it's going to take you only a couple of years to get over her? It's understandable for you to have a hard time letting her go…but you gotta vake up man! Zink about it, she moved to New York, she left _you_, She dated Varren, now she's gonna marry him, vhat more do you need to know to convince you zat it's _over_ vith her? Zose are signs that she has moved past your history together and let you go. I mean it's been two years, it's quite possible she still harbors feelings for you, but how you two vere, isn't how you _are_ anymore, and you need to _accept_ zat."

"No, Kurt, listen to me, you _don't_ understand."

"So maybe I don't. But vhat I do understand is zat Jean doesn't talk to Kitty just to talk to Kitty. She _knows_ Kitty is going to get ze vord back to us. Jean's smart zat vay, she's not talking to you, but she's making sure you hear about her life in New York, so you vill get ze picture zat she is no longer grieving for you or mourning vhat vas and vhat vill never be again. You know Jean probably better zan anyvone. You can't tell me zat you don't understand vhat she's doing. Ze fact is, you understand what she's doing _better _zen anybody else here."

"Yeah, But I'm _not_ holding onto her, Kurt. I'm not."

"Zen vhy to you carry zhat trinket vith you all ze time?" He asked, gesturing at the bulge in Scott's pants' pocket.

Scott slid his hand in his pocket and fingered the item.

"Kurt…that's different." He answered through clenched teeth.

"It hurt me, Kurt! It hurt me _alot_! You don't understand! We had such hope we _had_ a future together! We were building it, sure we had a few patches in the road, but she _destroyed_ it! She destroyed it when she left! It crumbled to pieces and instead of us picking them up, she _ran away! _She ran away _from me_, she ran away _from_ what _we lost_! She left my life in pieces!"

"Vell how do you zink she felt? Don't you zink zat maybe her life vas in pieces too?"

"Yeah but she didn't have to runaway from it! She didn't have too!"

"Maybe she didn't. But zink about zis, Jean hasn't been through somezing so traumatic before. Sure it vas very traumatic for you too, but you've had experience in ze past vith traumatic events…vith losing your parents n' everyzing. It's new to her so to speak, zat kind've pain…zat is somezing new for her…maybe she just didn't know how to deal vith it. Maybe she doesn't know how to react. It's possible running avay vas ze only zing zat made sense at ze time, maybe it vas ze only zing she _could_ do."

Scott just shook his head. "Whatever, it doesn't matter now. It's just a little hard for me to accept, that's all. It's such a big change."

"Vell sometimes for one to change it doesn't have to be big. I mean just little zings like if you vere to sleep vith za same teddy bear like you have since you vere five, and zen to stop sleeping vith it…nozing outvordly about you changes, and people my not notice ze change, but you do. And zat's vhat matters."

Scott sighed letting it all sink in. "Look, I know you're right but I just need time. You really wouldn't understand. I mean Jean had such an impact on my life…"

"Vell I don't understand completely…but I do know zat she holds a lot of emotional baggage for you."

"Yeah she _does_. I've _never_ loved anyone the way I love her. _Never_. My feelings for her are so deep…

she's _in my blood_, Kurt. I can't just expect all that to change over night. It's going to take some time."

"Okay, vell, I'm done arguing vith you. Anyvay, I just thought it better that you hear about it from me zen through ze mansion gossip."

"Thanks." Scott said solemnly.

Kurt nodded before 'bamfing' out unexpectedly.

Scott coughed and cleared away the smoke from his face that Kurt's teleportation had left.

"So many years and he still hasn't changed." Scott said aloud.

He sighed deeply, what had started out as one of the better days for him, had suddenly become depressing.

He still couldn't believe it…that Jean was getting married…and to Warren. He held nothing against him personally. He knew Jean had moved in with him…Maybe he wasn't in contact with Jean but he still kept in touch with Kitty…well maybe it was more like Kitty kept in touch with him.

He just felt there was so much more that he and Jean needed to talk about…needed to work through.

Her abrupt leaving hadn't exactly added any closure to their relationship, in fact deep down inside, he still didn't feel that it was completely over. He just felt there was so much left unsaid between them. It had been two years enough time to move on…for Jean…but not for him. Maybe deep down he had kept up hope that Jean would come back to him.

"Hey kid."

Scott looked up as Logan walked across the lawn and rested his shoulder against the tree as he lit his cigar.

Logan took a puff from his cigar, than with it in hand, he motioned to Scott's back. "Where ya goin'?

Scott looked back at his car, forgetting that he had been leaning on it.

"Oh…I was just… gonna go to town for a while." He answered, mind somewhere else.

"While hurry back ya got a trainin' session at five."

"Yeah…I know." Scott said distracted.

Logan noticed Scott's hesitance, he could tell his mind wasn't on the training session.

"Heard 'bout Jeannie huh?"

Scott nodded realizing Logan must have sensed that he had been distracted.

"Yeah…I'm…Ah…I'm shocked, I guess."

"Yep, ya ain't the only one. Believe me. 'Though I for one am glad ta hear that Jeannie's getting along well in the big apple."

"A little _too _well." Scott mumbled.

"This is 'bout her engagement, ain't it?" Logan slanted his eyes.

Scott managed a smiled, Logan heard him mumble. "You heard that, huh?"

"Well my senses pick up on things. From where yer standin' I can even hear ya whisper."

Scott shrugged. "I dunno…I just think that-"

"-Ya think that maybe she's gotten over ya a little too fast huh?"

"Well what's wrong with thinking that? I mean I- I still love her. I'm still _in_ love with her. It doesn't matter where she is."

"N' so you're worried that she doesn't feel the same for you."

"You know, I thought our relationship was different. I mean we're mutants yeah…but we shared something…"

"Well maybe Jean's not marryin' him because of love. Maybe it's somethin' else."

"Well what else could-" Scott's eyes widened behind his glasses. "You think she's-

"Jeannie? Nope…I mean maybe it was easy for her to get over ya and move on wit' Wing boy…but ta have a baby…I think even now that would be a little too soon for her. _Especially_ considering what happened."

"So what else could she be marrying him for?"

"I dunno…that's not my area of expertise. Maybe she does love the guy, it's very possible she loves him. I can't speak fer her. All I know is that you two…you were somethin' else. I don't think that this will be the end of it."

"Logan…do you think that maybe there could have been a way I could've stopped her from leaving?"

"Nah…Jeannie…at that time…she just needed to get out. Her mind was fixed. I don't think you could've changed it."

"I realize now that I was the cause that she left."

"Scott…don't go thinkin' that if you had acted any differently it would have came out better. Or if you would've came sooner, or just done _anythin'_ it would've came out better. Ya can't afford ta think like that. What's done has been done. Ya can't fix that. Look all I know is that both of you weren't exactly in the best state of mind to be thinkin' 'bout the other one's pain."

"But I should have. I should've thought about Jean and how it had affected her."

"But ya didn't. The truth is it was very hard on ya…ya were blamin' yerself-

"-The _whole_ thing was _my_ fault!" Scott snapped back.

Logan walked out from under the shade of the tree. "Listen ta me kid…it _wasn't_! Yer as much to blame as Jeannie, as Hank, Ya _all_ got caught up in the middle of somethin' ya _couldn't control!_ Ya had _no_ choice!"

"But she _blamed_ me! She _blamed_ me and she had every right too!"

"Ya _saved_ her life!"

"At the cost of another!" Scott shot back.

Logan sighed and shook his head.

"Look…I can't say I know how ya felt…or how yer feelin' 'cause I don't. I've experienced hurt and pain but not like that. I'm sure it's the worse pain one can feel."

He nodded, agreeing with Logan. "You're right it is. And it helps me to understand why she'll never forgive me."

"What makes you think she hasn't already?"

"Logan it's been _two_ years…we've had no contact whatsoever…it was her decision. Of course she's mad at me. I mean what other explanation is there?"

"Maybe she just needed time."

"Well I'm pretty sure she got it." Scott's voice was tense and Logan was sure it was dripping with sarcasm.

"Scott-" He could sense Scott's discomfort and he started to reassure him.

"-_Don't_, Logan. It's okay really. I'm just…I'm gonna go. I'll be back at five."

Scott hopped into his car.

"If ya need more time than that-" Logan started to shout at him.

"-I'll be back at five. I'm fine. I'm fine. Don't worry." He shouted before speeding out.

* * *

It had been a _long_ morning.

Besides waking up, taking a shower and eating breakfast, Jean had to pack and get ready for their visit to the institute. Warren had gone to work to tie up loose ends before he left.

Jean finished packing Warren's clothes and started to pack her own. It was like they were already married. She want to the bathroom to finish applying her makeup and to pack her pharmaceuticals.

She heard as the door opened then shut.

"Almost ready to go Hon?" Warren yelled from the kitchen as he walked into the bedroom.

"Ah huh. Almost ready." Jean put her pharmaceuticals in her small suitcase. "All ready." She said looking up at him smiling.

"Good because I took the liberty of calling the limo and it's waiting outside. Oh and I also heard from Professor Xavier at work today. He seemed very happy to hear that you were coming for a visit."

"Yeah I'm sure they miss us."

"Oh, and um, there's one more thing. I told the limo driver it would be expecting only three passengers."

Jean frowned, confused. "Three?"

Warren shrugged and slid his hands in his pockets. "Yeah…I won't be able to make it up until later."

"Later… _today_?" Jean said searching his gaze with her eyes.

"Ah, no, in a couple of days."

"A couple of days?" Jean repeated, not trying to hide her obvious disappointment.

"Yeah. Look I'm sorry but I have a meeting I forgot about. I thought I could take care of my business affairs with my personal secretary on maternity leave, but it just sorta came up at the board meeting today and I _have_ to attend."

"Oh, Warren, can't you get someone else to do it for you?" She asked, distressed.

"Well yeah, I could. But I have to do it. This is a meeting I planned myself months ago. I can't just back out now. This meeting's with a big corporate manufacturer in Hong Kong, and I think if I attend personally it could send out better signals than if I had someone go for me."

"Hong Kong? So what you gotta wait for him to come up here?"

"Uh…actually no. I guess the whole SARS thing got the people in Asia all antsy and the airlines for departures are all shut down, so I'll have to go meet him."

Jean sighed. "Warren…for you to fly there and back would take three to four days."

"I'm sorry…but if Worthington Enterprises gets this guy it could mean mega profits for the company. Look, I can fly my private jet there and back. Once the meeting's over, I can have the pilot land it at JFK, than I'll just get a limo to drive me the rest of the way to Xavier's'."

"Warren, the trip from JFK airport to the institute will take two hours, by the time you arrive the week will be over."

"Look, I can expand my vacation if you want to. But I really have to do this meeting."

Jean sighed picking up her purse from the bed. "I know, I know, business before pleasure. I got it."

Warren smiled. "Thanks for understanding."

"Isn't that why you're marrying me?"

"That and much more."

Jean smiled shyly and walked away.

Warren picked up her suitcase and escorted her to the door.

The limousine driver packed Jean's things in the trunk before escorting her into the backseat, which already occupied Rogue and Kitty.

"Hey isn't this like exciting?" Kitty exclaimed once the limo started driving.

"I can't wait to see everybody again! This is totally the way to spend our break!"

"Yeah Ah just hope Logan doesn't take it upon himself to teach us trainin' sessions. I'm _so_ over that." Rogue grumbled.

"What about you Jean? How do you feel?" Kitty asked.

Jean shrugged. "I dunno, I mean I thought Warren would be coming with me."

"Yeah what is it with guys thinkin' they cahn just ditch a girl? I'm tellin' ya they're all the same." Rogue said rolling her eyes.

"Warren owns a company Rogue, I have to be prepared for this kind of thing." Jean answered back almost immeadiately.

"Well like anyway, I can't wait to see everybody! Kurt, and Bobby, Remy-

"-Remy don't even go there." Rouge said with a chortle.

"Oh come on Rogue, like just because the guy irritates you doesn't mean I can't like him."

"He's a pest, a swamp rat."

Kitty glared at Rogue. "Like whatever…I just hope that our homecoming turns out alright."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rouge asked.

"Well I dunno Rogue, it's just you know with Scott…it's just I hope it's not awkward."

"What does Scott have anything to do with it being awkward?" Jean asked her curiosity peaked.

Rogue glared at Kitty. "Yeah Kitty, how so?" She asked, already knowing what the valley girl meant by it.

Kitty looked to Jean. "Well, um, you know, you guys haven't like talked in a while, and I thought, you know, that maybe with the way you left things, that it might not be such a good idea for you to be seeing him so soon."

Jean shook her head. "What makes you think it's too soon? It's been years and I've moved past it. I've gotten over my feelings."

"Your feelings for Scott?" Kitty asked.

"For everything." Jean answered staring out the window.

Kitty continued even though, to Rouge, it was obvious that Jean didn't want to talk about it.

"I just can't imagine feeling that way for someone, like you did Scott, and than being put through something, like, so tragic. And you guys left things on such a high emotional cord. I mean, like, it wasn't news to all of us, we were aware of what was going on, we knew what happened to you two and, like, I can't even imagine just having all those feelings drift away over time."

Jean sighed and tore her glance away from the window and towards Kitty.

"Well, for your information, they did. I don't mean to sound rude Kitty, but what Scott and I want through, how we left things, it's really not any of your business and it's _definitely_ not your place to say anything about it." She added tensely.

"Okay, but I just think that, like, what you guys went through was a devastating tragedy, and that maybe by marrying Warren you're, like, rushing into something that you're probably not really ready for, and maybe-"

Jean interrupted her and shot Kitty a determined glare.

"-Look I've moved past that part of my life, okay? And I prefer not to look back on it. So, unless you think you have any more personal opinions on the subject to add, maybe you can talk about something else."

She posed it as a question, but it was more of a command and Kitty calmly shied away.

Kitty shook her head, "Yeah I'm sorry, I like, I just wanted to help. I didn't know there was so much bad blood between you two."

"It's nothing like that, Kitty. We just haven't talked for a while, and I'm not coming here to confront Scott, or our past together, or anything that happened prior to today. I'm here for a vacation, and to have fun. I just don't have any need to want to drudge all that back up again. Yes, there are some unfinished issues between Scott and I, but that's not your concern. So why don't you let me worry about my _own_ life, okay?"

Jean said before turning to look out the window once more. Pretty much that meant, shut up and stay out of it.

Kitty slowly sunk into the leather exterior of the backseat. Rogue jabbed her in the rib.

"Ow!" Kitty exclaimed quietly. "Like what is that for?" She tensely whispered through clenched teeth.

"Ah told ya 'fore we came not ta go into that. Ya just can't keep well enough alone, can ya?" Rogue glared at her.

Kitty mumbled something incoherent and stuck out her lips in a pout.

Out of the corner of her eye, Jean glanced at the two roommates, just by looking at Kitty's sulking figure and Rogue's intimidated stare, she knew what was going on.

"Rogue, it's okay." She reassured, "I understand why you wouldn't want Kitty to talk about Scott and I, but it's alright, I can handle it."

Kitty glanced quickly at Rogue, than down to her folded hands in her lap. Rogue nodded and positioned herself comfortably on the seat and crossed her arms across her chest.

Jean turned once more to look out the window, and neither one of them said anything else the rest of the way there.

* * *

**Okay, so, the story is starting to build here. And No...nothing happens to Warren. We _will_ see him arrive at the Insitute later on, like a couple chapters from now. Anyway the next Chapter deals with Jean arriving at the Insitute and finally seeing Scott after _years apart_. Keep reading and you'll see what happens...:-D Let's just put it this way...When Warren's Away, Jean will Stray! Haha...:-)**


	4. Chapter Four

** A TWIST OF FATE**

**Chapter Four**

Not too many hours later, the limo drove up the Xavier Mansion's circular driveway. The limo stopped near the entrance where Kurt and Gambit where waiting, standing on the steps.

Rouge was the first to get out of the limo, followed by Kitty and than Jean.

"Hey Chere' miss me so much ya just had ta come back and see me." Gambit joked tossing a deck of cards in his left hand.

"Yeah right, Ah'd rather step foot in hell." She replied coolly.

"Aw, Come on Rogue lightin up would you!" Kitty exclaimed, the two obviously still at odds from their earlier conversation.

"Yeah C'mon chere, maybe a little later you and I can head ta your room and play a little poker. _Strip_ poker."

"In your dreams Swamp Rat."

Remy's eyes danced. "You bet darlin'."

Remy smirked and Rouge shot him a disgusted glared. "Ugh! That's just gross! You're such a pervert you demented rat!" She said shaking her head.

Ignoring Remy and Rogue's conversation Kitty ran out to hug Kurt. "Oh like this is so exciting! I'm so glad we're here!"

"Yeah like Ve are going to boogie all night." Kurt said dancing around in a circular motion.

Jean came up the concrete steps quietly and Kurt caught her eyes.

"I still can't believe ze news I hear about you and Varren being engaged! I mean it vas bound to happen, but, vow! Exciting, nein?" He asked.

She nodded and managed a small smile. "Yes it is."

"Where is your winged magnet, Red? He miss the limo?" Gambit asked. Rogue had gone inside. Forcing him to focus his attention elsewhere.

She shrugged. "He had an unplanned business meeting to attend. He has to travel for it, so he's coming a little later on in the week."

The driver came back up the steps carrying their suitcases.

"Oh, hey, like I'm sorry. You would probably would like to come in with those." Kitty said referring to the suitcases he held. "I totally forgot my mind!"

The driver followed the four into the living room, where the rest of the residents of the mansion were sprawled around.

"Jean, it's nice to have you back." The professor's friendly voice echoed throughout the room.

"Ooh I want to see the ring!" Amara jumped up from the coach and ran over to Jean.

Jean turned to look at Kitty. "Wow, news travels fast."

Kitty just shrugged and smiled guiltily.

The next thing Jean knew she was being asked a million questions all at once.

"Okay, look, I'll answer all your questions later. I really should get settled in."

She moved past the crowd of student and turned to look at Ororo. "My room's still in the same spot, I assume."

Her friend smiled and nodded. "Of course."

Jean picked up the suitcase the driver had left in the foyer, and took it up the stairs.

She opened the door to her old room and tossed the suitcase on the bed. It was just how she remembered it, a small tingle ran up the small of her back. Her room was also a constant reminder of some bad memories. But she couldn't hide from them forever, sooner or later she'd have to face her demons.

* * *

A while later Jean made her way toward the kitchen. She walked in to see Rogue peering in the refrigerator.

"Hey." She greeted upon entering.

Rogue shut the refrigerator door.

"Rummaging around for leftovers?" Jean asked shrugging toward the items in Rouge's hands.

"Uh, not really." Rogue set down the pitcher of milk she had been holding, on the table next to a try of cookies.

"Ah just tasted some of these cookies." She said picking up a cookie from the plate. "Kitty made them, they're fresh from the oven. So they need a little help washing down."

Jean chuckled remembering Kitty's muffin phase. She stood hands in her pockets as Rogue peered up from the table where she was pouring a glass of milk.

"Ya lookin' for someone?"

Jean shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno, I was, but now I don't know what I'm doing down here."

Rogue glanced up at Jean and knew that she was speaking of Scott. She sighed and sat down. "Look, Ah know Ah haven't been the nicest person to have around here, and Ah know that most everyone sees me as a cold hearted goth type-

"-Not everyone." Jean interrupted with a small smile.

Rogue shrugged. "All Ah'm sayin' is, Ah remember the day ya want off ta collage. Ah mean what you had been through and were going through, was nobody's business but yours, but still no one was oblivious to what was goin' on. Ya know Ah used ta have a crush on Scott, way back when."

"Yeah I know." Jean said sitting down as well, she figured she might as well get a kind of friendly conversation out of this kitchen visit.

"But Ah realized that he deserved better."

"Rogue…that's not true. You're as deserving as anyone."

"The point I'm tryin' ta make is, as much as Ah don't show it often, Ah do care about things. With Scott Ah knew Ah could never compete with you. And it wasn't cause of your beauty or wisdom, but it was because you two had somethin' that he didn't have with anyone else but you. Ah mean Scott was crazy for you."

"Yeah. He was. But you have to understand, that was a long time ago."

"But who's to say he still isn't? It's like what Kat was tryin' ta say in the limo, Ah don't think love like that is just gonna disappear."

"I never said it did. I never said that I don't love Scott anymore. I said I had made peace with those feelings, and peace with the fact that we can't ever get back what we lost. And even if we could, I don't know if I can do it. We left so much hanging. I know I had so many things to say to him, but I never did. In the end, I just couldn't say those things to him. I couldn't take it, I mean for a while whenever I saw him, he was a constant reminder of what I lost. I never wanted to blame him, but I was feeling like I had to blame somebody and he was that somebody, he was my scapegoat. I know what he did was hard, he'll probably live with some trace of guilt for the rest of his life. But I really don't think I can face him."

"If you feel this way, than why did you come? You can't stay here and hide out from him, either."

"It's a big mansion." She replied.

"C'mon, Jean. It's not _that_ big. Ya gotta know ya gonna run into him eventually. If you don't believe you can face him, than what? What if you find yourself face to face with Scott, what are ya gonna do than?" Rogue questioned Jean's motives.

"I don't know. I just wish Warren was here." Jean added quietly.

"All Ah'm sayin' is sooner or later you're gonna have to face your past. Ah don't want to imagine having to go through so much, like you did, but Ah know you did go through it, and on some deep level Ah wish you didn't have to."

Jean looked up her eyes glistening. "Scott and I…We had so many dreams. We had everything going for us, But in the end it all turned into a nightmare."

"But can ya really blame Scott for it? Ya said you still have things to say to him, you should tell him now. What if either one of ya died tomorrow…wouldn't you want to have closure…Ah mean runnin' off like ya did isn't exactly the way ta leave things."

"You know, I want to see him, I want to talk to him, but after so long I don't know how I'm going to react. Everything was so terrible, that's why I left. I deserted him, I deserted our life together, I mean, it's been so long and everything's changed so much, I don't even know how to communicate with him anymore."

"Look, if ya don't want to ever have anythin' ta do with Cyke again, than fine, that's none of mah business. But as long as you're here, now, Ah think Scott deserves to know how you feel. Especially when ya come back here about ta marry someone else."

Jean sighed and ran her fingers across the wooden table. "Yeah, I know. I know. I owe him that much."

"Yeah ya do." Rogue answered matter of factly.

If it were anyone else but Rouge, that stern comment would have upset her. She didn't like people sharing their opinions on how they felt she should run her life. But she expected it from Rogue, and took it as a compliment, because that's how Rouge gave compliments.

"You know Rogue, I kind of wish I got to know you a little better before we went off to collage. We really never associate very much, but this has been nice."

"Yeah, emphasis on _has been_." Rouge agreed in her own way. "Don't get used ta it, 'cause Ah don't plan on talkin' from the heart very often. Anyway Ah just thought Ah'd let ya in on my opinion as a woman-"

"-And a friend." Jean posed it as a question but it came out as a statement.

"Yeah Ah guess." Rogue shrugged. "Ah may not like everything you do, but Ah don't think any of us could have stopped ourselves from getting in the middle of your relationship. Ah mean for sure, we weren't in it as deep, but went you guys want through, we felt it to."

"Yeah, it was pretty hard not to get involved. From the day it started our relationship was like a hurricane, sucking in everything and everyone. I really feel bad about that too. That was probably the most personal, intimate time for us as a couple and for me by myself, and here I had to share it with a whole mansion full of people." Jean chuckled softly, but not because it was funny.

"Ya should keep in mind, that maybe if you're feelin' this way, Ah'm sure Scott is too." Rogue reminded her.

Jean nodded her head in response.

Her glass of milk finished, Rogue realized that she had nothing more to say and excused herself. "Look Ah got some things ta take care of before dinner. So ah'll see you later."

Jean watched her leave through the double doors. She wondered if she'd see Scott at dinner, even so she still wasn't ready to talk to him, not yet.

* * *

After dinner, everyone pitched in to help clean up. Jean and Ororo were washing and drying the dishes, Remy and Rogue were on Kitchen table cleanup. And Kurt and Kitty just put away leftovers and cleaned the kitchen.

Everything was going smooth and fast, until Jean felt a splash on her cheek. It wasn't hard to know where it came from. Jean turned to Rogue and Remy, where they were cleaning the table, they had cause quite a ruckus.

"Now what did you do that for, Remy?" Rogue asked covered with disinfectant spray, hands on her hips.

"Remy didn't do notin' wrong. Wit' you standin' 'round doin' nothin' Remy had ta fend for himself. So when 'da sprayer on dis bottle wasn't workin' Remy just fixed 'dat." Gambit said in his defense.

"By exploding the bottle?" Rogue yelled obviously angrier.

"I didn't see you helpin' Remy wit' it! 'Sides it all poured on the table so now we don't have to waste time sprayin." Remy said thinking what he did was very intelligent.

"You know the last thing Ah wanted was ta have clean-up duty with you! Again!" Rogue yelled.

"Remy ain't that bad once ya get ta know him."

"All Ah know is that everytime Ah've had ta work with you somethin' get broken or somethin' goes wrong."

"Hey, 'dere could have been a lot of ways for 'dat flower vase to explode." Remy stood up in his defense.

"Well, What about the Thanksgiving turkey?" Rogue said an angry smirk on her face.

"Hey Where Remy come from, we see flying turkey's all 'da time."

"In New Orleans?"

"All da time chere'."

"Flying turkeys with an orange ring of kinetic energy around them?" Rogue asked quizzically.

"You can't pin dose flying turkey's on me."

"Ah was there! Remember, we we're workin' in the kitchen Ah was getting' ready ta stuff the turkey when you thought it an appropriate time to show off!"

Gambit frowned, that day coming back to his mind. He smirked, huh, that had been a pretty funny prank. Of course Logan didn't think it was all that funny, otherwise Remy wouldn't have had to work out his probation in the danger room with Logan. His muscles still ached. He snapped back to reality.

"Well do you remember doing that?" Rogue asked already knowing he had.

"What is 'dis an interrogation room? Remy don't have to stand here listenin' to all 'dis!" Gambit stormed out of the kitchen.

"FINE DON'T!" Rogue yelled after him. "Uh, look at me, Ah got to go change." Rogue muttered leaving the kitchen.

"Ah…Just look at those lovebirds." Kitty said. "They're having their first fight."

"Vhat do you mean Kitty? Of all of us Rouge and Remy get along the least." Kurt said teleporting to the other side of the kitchen to put a pan in the cupboard.

"Yeah, I know, but can't you just tell they have a thing for each other?" Kitty asked mostly talking to herself.

"Besides I read in YM magazine that most co-ed teenagers who argue all the time or don't get along, Either Secretly have a crush on the other or they end up getting married or dating or something."

"I vouldn't agree vith that Kitty, Amada and I get along vith each other very vell and ve haven't argued or anything, since ve've been together."

"Well some cases are different." Kitty said sticking up for her favorite magazine.

"I mean take Jean and Warren for example. I mean he's got like a lot of money, he nice, he's mutant powers allow him to fly, like do I really need to say more?"

"Hey, Vhat about me?" Kurt asked.

"Well Kurt you've always been kind of weird when it comes to relationships and stuff. You probably just let Amanda step right over you."

"Vhat! Are you calling me a pushover?"

"You said it." Kitty answered him.

"Yes you are. You just did!" Kurt yelled.

"You called yourself a pushover!"

"But I'm not a pushover!" He defended himself.

"So why did you call yourself one?"

"I didn't, you did!"

"Did the words 'Kurt you're a pushover.' Ever come out of my mouth?" Kitty asked.

"No…"

"So then I didn't say it!"

"But you…ughhhhhhhh…" Kurt gave up talking and pounced on Kitty, teleporting them both out of the kitchen.

"Hmmm…they didn't use to so stuff like this when I lived here." Jean said washing the last of the dishes.

Ororo chuckled. "Well they didn't. You were always their voice of reason. But now they don't have one." She said as he folded the towel she had been drying the dishes with, and placed it on the counter.

"Hey, Ororo, I was thinking maybe we could catch up sometime. I mean I'd like to know what I missed while I was gone."

"That sounds good Jean. Are you going to be okay?"

"Well I'll never really recover and get past it if I don't talk about it."

"I only hope that it gets easier for you."

"Yeah, so do I. You know, I was expecting to see Scott at dinner, and expecting it to awkward and I wasn't really looking forward to it, so I was a little relieved to see that he wasn't at dinner tonight. But I think that maybe it's time I talk to him. Since I arrived here, I have been kind of hiding out from him, but it's inevitable, sooner or later we'll have to talk."

"Okay." Ororo said calmly.

"I'm gonna head up to the attic and water the plants before I retire for the night. We'll talk later."

"Alright. I'm looking forward to it."

She watched as Ororo left, leaving her alone in the kitchen.

Now if only she could talk to Scott it would make being here a little better. Although she didn't know how he would react. The last time they said anything to each other, it was a fight, they had argued, and she had left, just like that.

Maybe this time, they could start a conversation without it ending in a fight.

Jean sighed and dried her hands with a towel. Now was as good a time as any. She tossed the towel on the counter and left the kitchen.

* * *

The whole time Jean walked up the flight of stairs leading to the bedrooms, her mind was racing with thoughts.

She walked up to the closed door and hesitated. She thought over her plan to talk to Scott.

She was about to knock on his door, when she glanced across the hall and noticed her door was slightly ajar.

Curiosity peaked; she walked the two steps from his door to hers' and approached the darkened room. She peered into the room through the halfway open door.

The door to the balcony had been opened and the little light that the moon could offer trickled through the otherwise dimly lit room. The night breeze lightly ruffled the door curtains and anything else it could.

Jean stared through the room at the figure leaning on the balcony. He was there, in her room, on the balcony. She stared at the view before her, the light of the moon shone around Scott illuminating him in the blackness of the shadows. His arms were pressed against the balcony railing as he looked out across the night sky.

She hadn't seen Scott in a while, and even from his back he looked good, well kept. She needed to talk to him. But after her hasty departure months before, it wouldn't be easy. She wished now, that they didn't need to have this talk at all. But they did.

Knowing everyone else in the mansion was either asleep or in their rooms for the night, Jean inhaled deeply and pushed on the door slightly to let herself in.

As she neared closer to the balcony Jean noticed that Scott seemed to be brooding as he leaned over the balcony's ledge.

Of course that could have something to do with her being here. She knew he wouldn't be happy with her engagement, after all it had come as a complete surprise to nearly everyone. But it was probably a shock to Scott.

He hadn't come to dinner, probably to spare everyone of the uneasiness that was sure to have transpired between the two of them. But he was here now, in _her_ room, she knew him well enough to know that he was waiting for her. He knew she'd have to come to bed sometime. It was a good plan, dark, quiet, just the two of them around to hear all the nasty words that may or may not come up in their conversation.

She quietly entered upon the balcony and rested her arm on the ledge as she felt the cool breeze of the night ruffle her hair.

Scott didn't budge or turn his head, but he could sense her presence, he knew she was here.

"Aren't you going to say hi?" She asked quietly, staring straight ahead at the stars.

"You know, why do I get the feeling you're trying to avoid me?" Scott asked gently.

"I don't know. Why would you think that?" She asked a little irritated that he had decided to begin conversation this way.

Scott shrugged as he answered. "I just get the feeling that you're uncomfortable around me for one reason or another."

"Well Scott, that's understandable, don't you think? I know how you feel about the choices I've made regarding my life."

"I doubt that you do." He answered, still not looking at her. It was than that she wondered if he had been waiting all day to do this.

"What does that mean?" When she received no reply she continued,

"Look Scott, I know you're angry with the announcement of my engagement to Warren. I expected as much. But I'm happy with him." She defended her actions.

"Well good I'm glad you're happy." He said coolly. She couldn't tell if he was genuine or just coolly brushing it off.

Jean stared at Scott. She shook her head in frustration.

"I don't believe you. Can you get any more distanced?" She paused and than continued.

"You know, You haven't said a word to me that's encouraging. It's like you want us to fight. I don't even know how you feel about this, Scott."

He frowned, irritated. "About what, Your engagement? How do you _think_ I _feel_?"

"Well, I'm sure you're not happy about it, you're probably a little surprised—"

"—Shocked actually." He interrupted.

"—But I didn't think you'd be upset about it. At least not angry." She finished.

Scott nodded his head in understanding. "Oh…I get it. You think I'm upset about you're engagement."

She nodded. "Of course."

"Well I'm not." He answered.

"But you're obviously angry."

"Yes I am." He answered honestly.

"Okay, if not because of that, than why?"

"_Why?_ Why do you think Jean?" For the first time that night he turned to face her and his voice rose.

"You _left_ me! Years ago you left me! You just deserted me, you dashed every hope that we ever had at working through our problems! _You _did _that_! For months you go without talking to me, in fact, if it weren't for Kitty I'd know nothing about your life. But I'm sure you didn't want that, that's why you told Kitty in the first place, you knew she'd get the word back to the mansion, back to me."

"That wasn't my intention."

"Yeah right." He nodded not believing her. "So can you imagine my surprise when I hear that you're getting married. While you're gone I'm wondering what went wrong with us, wondering why exactly it is that you left. I _never _heard from you Jean. Not _once_. So what were you thinking, coming here, with this…_news?_ Did you think I would take it lightly? I feel…I feel like…that I'm just…left hanging."

"I _didn't _leave you hanging Scott. You _knew_ I was leaving." She said tensely.

Scott sighed and his voice lowered into almost a whisper. "What _happened_ to us Jean?"

Jean shook her head and turned away. "I dunno…"

Scott approached her and put his hands on her shoulders turning her around to face him. There was a hesitance between the two, as they absorbed all the feelings around them. It was so strong, whatever it was that was still alive between them. Jean felt it too, she was surprised at how strongly it still felt.

"Standing here right now, Jean, I feel something so strong, something so positive. Do you feel that too?" He asked in a hushed tone.

She shook her head and turned around to avoid his gaze. "Scott…I feel _so many_ things…"

"Good things?" He asked, hopeful.

"No. I mean…Yes, good things." She added. She didn't know what to say as her mind raced. She walked away from him.

"Why are you hesitating?" Scott asked, confused.

Jean turned around to face him, but maintained her distance. "I'm sorry…I don't… I don't mean to seem that way."

"So why do you?" He asked.

Jean shook her head and tried to explain.

"When we were apart…I thought all that I felt for you was gone. I mean with Warren's help I was able to sort through my feelings and to rethink my life and he helped me to move on. He helped me in a way you didn't or you couldn't. And I just-I didn't expect for us to be talking this way…I mean I'm engaged to Warren, that's how much my life has changed."

Scott shrugged and his hope remained.

"Jean while you were away I had to rethink everything…take a look at my life. Many times I was tempted to call you, believe me, many times. I didn't because I didn't think I should. I mean I didn't know how you felt…what you felt. But when you were gone, when you were gone, that was the worst time in my life. I struggled with my feelings so much. I realized that after…after what I did…I just I felt so guilty knowing that I had taken something precious away from you."

She sighed deeply as memories flooded her mind and she suppressed her tears. He turned and leaned his back against the balcony.

"I couldn't face you and I just bottled up all my feelings and withdrew from you, from everyone. It's just…it took me so long to learn to express my emotions that I guess some of that potential to hide my emotions still lies within me. What I did had such an impact on me that I automatically shut down to protect myself from the pain. I just feel as if sometimes it's easier to just shut down than open up. I know I hurt you because of my actions, and you'll never know how truly sorry I am. But you have to understand, this affected me too…and it didn't hurt me any less than it did you. The only difference is that I have to live with the guilt of such a consequence."

Jean shook her head, but didn't move from standing in the middle of the balcony.

"You know, while I was away I was able to think about the past years. To sort through my life, or what was left of it."

"Well did you…what did you decide? Did you come to any conclusions?" He asked.

She nodded. "One." She said quietly.

"What?"

Jean turned around to face him. "That it would be very easy for me to forget the last several years ever happened…"She trailed off, waiting for him to respond.

"Jean…I never thought that you would suggest forgetting the past few years."

Jean shook her head. "Oh, I wanted to…believe me I wanted to. But I don't think I should forget them."

Scott was confused. Apparently they had been away from each other for too long.

"I don't understand."

Jean sighed as she tried to sort through and explain her feelings to him.

"Scott, what happened between us affected me deeply and our relationship took a turn that we _never_ expected. We thought _nothing _could ever break that bond we share, but there's no denying that our bond was tested that day, no denying that. What happened to us, the experience we share, it's over now, we can't do anything but move on, move past it. But we can't simply ignore it and go on as if _nothing _ever happened! The truth is it _did _happen and we _did_ become distant and our relationship became really lonely for me. I was thinking thoughts that I would never have thought if it weren't because of that. I began to wonder if we were really meant to be."

Scott whispers to her, "I understand why you'd feel that way."

Jean looked at him skeptically. "Scott, I don't think you _do_. I thought, once long ago, that we were meant to be, but now, now I know we're not. We're not meant to be, and we can't change that. It's just how it is."

"You don't really _believe _that, Jean?"

"Well _what _do you think I believe, Scott? Do you think my marrying Warren is just a big joke? That it's a way for me to move past things quicker and to forget you? Is _that_ what you think? Because I'm _telling you_ now, that's _not_ how it is."

"You can't make me believe that you actually _love_ him." Scott said.

"Why shouldn't I? What would be _so wrong_ with _loving_ Warren?"

"_Nothing!_" He answered firmly, noticing the rise in his voice, he lowered it; "It's just…I never knew why you left, I didn't understand why you'd just desert me, desert _us_, the way you did. But I understand now. I understand that I'm the one at fault for losing you the way I did. _I'm_ the one who pushed you to run away. I wasn't there for you, I get it now. I mean I was a complete jerk to you after—

"—Scott, it's okay, we don't have to talk about it."

"Yes we do! Jean…you don't understand how much I want to talk about it. How much I need to talk about it with you. You're the only one who can relate to what I'm feeling."

"But that was a long time ago, I've moved past that part of my life."

"You don't know how much I want to move past it…but the more I try the more I can't. When I look back on that day, I just feel so many things. I feel guilt, anger, hurt. You know, I tried to stay strong for everyone; I tried to pretend that I had moved past it. But the only thing I accomplished was that I _lied_ to myself. It's still there Jean…everything is still there…all bottled up inside me. I just…I want it all to go away."

Jean nodded and paced the floor as she whispers;

"I understand I do. There were times when it hurt so bad I forced myself to just dismiss it... to pretend like it never happened. But it was so _real_…I couldn't do that. Instead I forced myself to live with it…and I just _fell to pieces_." She exhaled deeply as she ran a hand across her forehead and through her hair.

She stopped pacing and turned to look at him.

"I _needed_ you Scott! I _needed_ you and you _weren't _there! You were so bottled up in your own emotions that you just shut down to the world…you shut down to _me_. I knew you were hurting and I wanted so bad to comfort you…but I needed comforting too."

"Jean…I'm sorry…" Scott replied hushed, barely audible.

She continued,

"I wanted to be there for you, I really did. But I couldn't because you would never let me get close enough…even our rapport felt cold and lonely. I thought about you all the time. I thought about how much you were hurting to shut me out as much as you did, I thought it must've really been killing you. I felt so bad that I couldn't comfort you. But at a time when we should have been there for each other…_you_ weren't there for _me_!" She finished angrily.

"I know. I know. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? How does that _fix_ this! That _doesn't_ fix this! Scott… you _can't_ just _apologize_ it all away! That _won't_ make it better!"

"I wasn't there for you, I _get that_! You will never know how sorry I am about that. Let me be there for you _now_ Jean, let me be there _now_."

She shook her head.

"Don't you get it? It's _too late_, Scott. You have _no idea _what I _went through_ having to endure the pain silently, until I met Warren. He did what you _couldn't_. He was _there for me_. He _held_ me, he _listened_ to me. He was _there_. And you know what, he helped me through it."

"I thank him for that, Jean. I do. You don't know how bad I feel that you had to go elsewhere to get what I should've been giving you. He _did_ do what I couldn't. But it was _my_ job. I _vowed_ to be there for you and when it came down to it, I _couldn't_."

She nodded. "Yeah, so what does that say about you?"

"That I'm a failure." He answered honestly. "I have faults, and in the end I couldn't overcome them."

She shook her head. "I don't understand, Scott. You _promised_ me! You took a vow! _For better or for worse_! What happened to us, the pain we felt, we're _not_ alone, Scott. It happens to more people than we'd think. But they get through it. They bond from the shared experience, the shared grief. This _tore_ _us apart_! Don't you see that? This _destroyed_ us!" She yelled forcefully as tears ran down her face.

He nodded and behind his glasses tears fell. "Jean I know. We said so many things…"

"Yeah, we did. We said _so_ many things _that _day. That was the end of it _all_. It _shouldn't_ have been. But it _was._ I can't understand it. We were supposed to come out stronger! I _thought_ we _were_ stronger than _that_! What _happened_ to us, Scott? Why did it have to come down to this to make us see how _very wrong_ we were?"

"We weren't wrong, Jean. We weren't. We just…we screwed up, that's all."

"Yeah, we did. We did _screw_ up. We were just too young and it was just too soon."

"Do you _blame me_, Jean?" He asked. "I'd expect you too. Because of me our lives have been changed _forever_. Because of me one life is _gone_. We can't _change_ that…I wish to god we could…but we _can't_."

She turned her back to him and let the hot tears fall as he talked.

"Jean, what…what we have now is…is something stronger than what we started with. We've survived Jean…we've survived the greatest pain that anyone can bear."

She crossed her arms and tried to avoid any contact with Scott as he stood behind her and continued;

"Please don't tell me that you feel there's no connection between us."

He didn't wait for a reply as he answered himself;

"Always has been and always will be."

She shook her head and wiped away tears with her palm. Their voices begin to raise slowly as they continue to talk.

"Oh no-no-no don't you _dare_ bring that up! Don't you dare bring _her _up!"

"_Why_ Jean? Why not bring it up? I mean it's been so long and we haven't talked about it…"

"Have you _not_ been _hearing_ me? I don't _want_ to _talk_ about it! I've moved past all of that. That part of my life is over! It's _over_!"

"That's what you keep saying, But is it really Jean? Are you sure it's over?"

She frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Have you really moved past all of that? Or are you just running away from it?"

Her voice was tense and she glared at him through her tears. "Running away from _what_?"

"Running away from your _past_…from _me_."

"_What_? No of course not! How can you even say something like that to me?"

"Because I _know_ you. I _know_ how your mind works." He stressed.

She was angry now. "_No_ you _don't_! You don't know _anything_ about me anymore!"

"Than why won't you talk to me?" Scott asked his voice tense and almost pleading.

"It's not my _fault_ that you don't know anything about me now! That was _your_ choice! When you _chose_ to withdraw from me, when you _chose_ to shut down, you _stopped_ knowing anything about me! And that's _not my_ fault, you can _only_ blame _yourself_ for that."

"I'm different than that, Jean. I'm not that person anymore. Talk to me now."

"It's too late for all of that, Scott. It's too late." Jean turned her back on him, as silent tears streamed down her face.

"It's okay if you want to be mad at me Jean. I mean I was the one at fault."

She shook her head, as angry as she was right now, she didn't want him blaming himself. Deep down she knew he had no choice.

"You can't look at it that way." She tried to reassure, but she couldn't make her voice sound convincing.

"Why not? Don't you?" He asked.

Her voice lowered and they continued quietly;

"As much as it would be _so easy_ for me to blame you…and as much as I've thought of blaming you, as much as I _wanted_ to blame you, I know you had no choice in doing what you did. I do owe you my life for that."

Scott gazed up at the sky, his mood wondering.

"I sometimes wonder what would have happened if it had turned out differently. If maybe I had made another choice. It haunts me, you know, wondering what could be today if we could've just avoided the whole situation altogether. I wonder if it would have made a difference, if it would have spared her life."

She shook her head. "If she were to be here today, _alive_, than it's a possibility _I_ wouldn't be here. I owe you my life, Scott. You _saved_ me."

"But you miss her don't you?" He asked as he turned her by the shoulder, tears streaming down her bowed head.

She made a faint nodding motion with her head; her hands ran to her face to suppress her tears.

"Yes…" She choked out quietly.

"So do I." Scott related.

"I think about her everyday." Jean continued, still not looking at Scott. "What she would be like, who she would look like. I think about how my life would be today. I'd like to think that if she had lived, I'd find myself here, with you."

"You can _still_ be with me, Jean." Scott said, his hope restoring.

She disagreed. "It's _different_ now. _Everything_ is different now."

"_We're_ not different, we're still the same." Scott tried to convince her.

"_I'm_ different Scott, _I've_ changed. I think about that _day_ all the time. I get so _angry_ thinking about what he _did_ to her…what he _did_ to _me_…How could someone have that much hatred, how could someone do what he did and get away with it?" She asked, searching for something, an answer somewhere.

"I don't know Jean. But he was a cruel man and I hope he's paying for his sins."

"He took her _away _from us Scott…he killed _our baby _and I hope he _burns in hell_ for it." She cried through clenched teeth.

He wrapped his arms around Jean. "I know honey…I know."

She pulled away from his embrace, her eyes blazing. "Don't you _see_, Scott? _Everytime _I _look_ at you…I _remember_…and it hurts. I have a hole in my heart that was left when she died, and I can't help but fill it with anger. I don't want to…but it's _there_."

He shrugged, "Look the last couple of years have been hard on you, on me, on _us,_ I understand I do. But don't you think we deserve another chance? Don't you think this _is_ our chance?"

"No. I mean I don't know. It's just…it's all still so fragile. Scott, I'm engaged to Warren. I've _made_ my decision."

"But you still love me, you _know_ you do. Why can't you just accept your feelings and come back to me?"

Jean became slightly upset. "Aren't you being a little _unfair_?"

"I don't think I am. I'm not going to beg you. Either the feelings that I feel are mutual or they aren't…I feel that they _are_."

Jean looked into his eyes and whispers, "Scott… don't question my feelings for you, please don't do that…"

He looked into her eyes and held her head in his hands, as he whispered into her eyes, "If we love each other so much, why _shouldn't _we be together? _Why_?"

She pulled out of his embrace and angrily retorts, "Because we can't!"

"Why can't we?" He asked.

"Because…_I_ can't!" She tearfully yelled.

"What?"

"I _can't_ go back to _that _again, Scott!"

"Go back to what? You're not making any sense!"

"You don't understand, you can't possibly understand how I feel. But it took me so long to move past it all, that I just can't go back to it."

Scott nodded his head sadly as realization dawned upon him. "You think that history will repeat itself? Is that it?"

"I just—I _don't_ know what I think! _All_ I know is that I can't go through that again. I just think there is so much to be considered now. Can't you understand the conflict I'm feeling?"

"That shouldn't matter, not if you _truly_ love me!"

"Yeah but we _can't_ make this happen without destroying other people's lives. We _can't_ ignore everyone who might be affected if we decide to resume _this_."

"You're talking about Warren, aren't you?" Scott huffed.

Jean shook her head, "Scott, you don't know Warren like I do. You haven't spent time with him on a daily basis. I mean…I'm engaged to him. That has to say something."

"Yeah, all it says is that I know you have committed to him. And my feelings on that subject don't mean anything."

She nods. "Yes, I am committed, and it's _not _to you."

Scott struggled to explain, "It's a commitment that I _have_ a great difficulty understanding and making sense of… because I know what your feelings are for me."

He turned to the railing and looked at the stars as he continued;

"You know, ever since you left I thought that over the time while you and I were apart, that the feelings that existed between us would fade and go away, but they didn't…they _aren't_…I 've _always_ loved you… and those feelings were always hidden and always drawn…"

He turned to her and looked deeply in her eyes,

"It's still there isn't it? All the chemistry and the electricity, the passion, it's all still there…I can _feel_ it. I guess some things never change, do they? Our time away hasn't changed what has always been between us."

She walked away thoughtfully, turning her back to him.

Scott followed her and noticing her hesitation, he sighed and continued;

"Look…I have nothing more to say. I don't like living here…without you. I'm sorry I feel this way…I really am."

He sighed and deeply and continued, her back still to him. "But I _want_ you, I want you _very much_."

She turned to look at him with tears in her eyes as he pleads with her.

She was trying to fight away all that he was saying and sticking to all the reasons why it would never work out between them.

"Look Scott…I've _made_ my decision. I _told _you that. Now if you can't understand that, than fine. But I'm _done._ I'm _done._ It's _over_. I'm just so tired…tired of everything…I _don't_ want to talk about this _anymore_."

"Okay…" Scott agreed. "So let's talk about this…" He grasped Jean's left hand in his. He boosted her ring finger up with his thumb pointing out to her the engagement ring.

"Scott…" Jean sighed as she pulled away her hand just as he released his hold.

"If you don't want to talk about our past…fine we won't…so let's talk about our future." He finished.

"Don't you get it? My future is not with you!" She protested strongly, turning away from him.

Scott grabbed her arm to keep her from walking away. He spun her around to face him and pulled her close.

"Are you sure?" He asked quietly his eyes searching her face from behind his glasses.

She looked down as she tried to avert his gaze.

He followed her wandering gaze. "Jean I _know_ you feel a connection between us…I can sense it."

She shook her head trying to fight away what she knew was happening between them.

"Look I don't think we should be talking this way…" She said shaking her head trying without avail to protest what he was doing to her.

"I can't—I can't believe we're talking about this now. I can't believe we're talking this way. I -I shouldn't be talking this way not with _you_." She protested, weakly trying to wiggle free from his hold.

"Than we won't talk." He whispered as he brought her face to meet his.

He could feel her hesitating but he knew that on some level she was feeling the same way he was.

Jean tried to fight her feelings away…but what she felt between them was a connection…a tension so heavy she found herself slowly being trapped in it. Deep down she longed for this moment…but at the same time she fought to keep herself from being caught up in it.

Scott pulled her closer to him and for a moment she pulled back…hesitating…trying to fight it.

"Don't. You don't have to do this. After all these years, you can stop fighting Jean." He whispered, his breath falling across her face.

She tried to reason with herself, trying to keep sane and free of the emotions running through her. But she felt so many things…and her feelings for him…for this moment… were unquenchable unless she let it happen. She no longer hesitated and Scott pulled them closer to embrace her in a long passionate kiss.

She felt all her reasoning slip away…the sensations running through her were so much stronger and it was complete bliss.

Her hands ran through his hair as their lips met and she pulled him closer.

Their breathing was heavy and neither talked much, both caught up in a tidal wave of emotions.

Jean placed her hands on Scott's cheeks bringing his lips closer to hers causing her hair to fall across his face.

So many thoughts ran through her mind, and as good as the moment felt, she couldn't help but feel guilty.

She broke the kiss but leaned her forehead against his, breathing heavily.

"We can't…We shouldn't be doing this…it's wrong…it's wrong." She gasped out maintaining some hold on what was right and what was wrong.

"Yes we can." He answered for her, kissing her once more.

She let him kiss her for a moment, but pressed her palms to his chest and pulled back. "We _can't_ do _this_, Scott. We _can't_."

"Why not? It's not like it's nothing I haven't seen before. Why are you holding back?" He asked.

"Scott, I _can't_. I've made a commitment to Warren, I can't do this to him." She said a little irritated at his comment.

"You made a commitment to _me_, Jean. You backed out of it. Tell me how this is any different?" His breath fell across her face.

Slightly she shook her head, breathing heavily, she searched for an answer. "I don't…I don't know. But this _is_ different, _this_ _is_. We _can't_." She said speaking as if she were trying to convince herself rather than him.

"The _hell_ we _can't_." He answered.

His lips met hers in a kiss that was so deep and passionate, all she could do was surrender to her emotions, and kiss him deeply back.

* * *

Scott embraced Jean in a kiss before cuddling up close to her in bed. She sighed and rested her head on his chest.

"It's all true you know." He said quietly after a momentary pause.

"What is?" She mumbled out.

"Everything I felt, the connection between us… the passion that I feel. It's just, it's all still there. I cannot begin to tell you how much I've missed this." Scott paused, "How much I've wanted this…"

They kiss and after a moment he pulls away. "I just can't get enough of you, right now."

"Mmm..." came Jean's feeble response.

He folds her hand in his. "There's just something about us that seems inevitable, don't you think? It's a passion that's so overwhelming. Do you feel that too?"

She snuggled up closer to him as he held her.

"All I know is when I am like this in your arms… I feel… so complete." She kisses his fingers still entwined in hers.

"What is so remarkable is that all this time has passed and absolutely nothing has changed. Nothing." He agreed.

"It's like all the years have faded away…but right now… it just seems so right." She added.

"That's because it is. What I can't understand is why the hell we ever let it go." He said with a sigh.

"Oh, Scott, we made so many mistakes."

"First of all… was that we let go of each other. Maybe that was meant to be, you know. Because otherwise we wouldn't have learned to appreciate what we have now." He answered for her.

"I still can't believe this is really happening."

"Let's believe it." He said as they kissed again…

She pressed against him and pushed away, breaking their kiss.

"You should go." She said in a hushed voice.

Scott's eyes searched her face. He could feel her hesitance in their last kiss. He could sense that she unsure of something, uncomfortable maybe.

"Jean…" He began to question.

She shook her head. "You really need to go." She repeated.

He sighed and nodded as he agreed with her.

Scott parted from her arms and stood up. His lips met hers to kiss her in a last deep passionate embrace.

Jean pulled away again, this time her hesitance obvious.

"We should stop before we get ahead of ourselves." She murmured quietly feeling his hot breath brush across her face.

"Yeah…right." He sighed again and nodded understandingly but Jean could sense that he was disappointed.

She watched him leave and pulled the blanket tighter around her body. She sighed and stole a glance at her engagement ring.

She sighed again and let her head fall back against the pillow.

* * *

**Yep, Yep, Yep, They did _do_ what you all think they did! I'm sureyou all know what want on at the mansion. I told ya, when Warren's away, Jean will play! Well not really, JK :-) However, what she _did do_ is _not_ good. At least for Warren anyway!**

**Trust me, there's more tothis Scott/Jean relationship than what you know! It's a very deep, complicated, relationship and I'll delve deeper into the relationship itself, thier past as a couple and maybe _more_, and also I'll delve into _what_ _exactly_ it is that _happened_ to them years ago! **

**And of course,I did drop a few lines a/b what happened the year before Jean left for NYC, and trust me it will all make sense at the end. Like the_ very_ end! Okay soafter what went on this night, What will happen when Warren arrives, and what if he shold find out? And how does Jean feel about it _all_? ****Wellyou know, Keep reading! **


	5. Chapter Five

**A TWIST OF FATE**

**Chapter Five**

Jean's alarm woke her up earlier than what she wanted. She turned around to shut it off.

She half expected to see Scott in the bed next to her. She smiled, that had been years ago and at that time it had become normal for her to cuddle up next to Scott in the early hours of the morning. It wasn't like that anymore though, and it had been _days _since their nightly encounter.

They had talked on and off during the days that followed, but it was just awkward and Scott knew of her doubts. He wanted something from her that she couldn't give him. He wanted something that she didn't have room for in her life.

She stretched her arms and clutched the sheet around her bare body. She wrapped the sheet around her as she got up to open her blinds letting the early morning sunlight shine through.

She decided it was a good idea to jump in the shower before anyone else. She hadn't been here in a while, but she still remembered what it was like to take a shower after everyone else. During the rebuilding construction of the Mansion, years back, Xavier had the workers install a large water heater, it was a good call on his part.

This morning her mind had been preoccupied on what had happened days before. For some reason she just couldn't get her mind off it.

It had felt incredible and completely right. She thought at first that it should feel that way. Because it _was _right and it _had _been right years ago it had. But that time had passed, and now, now it was a mistake.

That's what she planned to tell Scott anyway.

She wrapped herself in a purple silk robe and walked the few paces back to her room to dress.

She picked out a few items out of her dresser and loosened the robe as it fell to the floor. After dressing in her underwear Jean pulled on a pair of denim short waist blue jeans and pulled the short red top over her head and slipped it unto her arms.

She briefly brushed through her hair before tying it up in a ponytail. She examined herself in the full length mirror hanging on the back of her door.

She brushed a hand through her bangs, fluffing them up. Her eyes drifted down to her waist where there was a small hardly noticeable scar. She traced her hand along the line of the scar. At one time there were abrasions, but it had been healing good over the past few years and now it was like is was drifting into her skin. In a few months it would be completely minimized and probably gone.

Jean shook her head, but even if the physical reminder would be gone unfortunately it was forever etched in her mind, always fading, but always still as clear as day.

It was a scar deep in her mind that she would never forget yet couldn't bring herself to remember. Either way, it would always be in her mind, the hurt and the pain, would always be with her, she would always carry the wound that had been inflicted mentally. She always wanted to remember, because to forget would be to lose hold, on something so precious to her, something so close to her heart, that she never wanted to let it go.

She shut her eyes remembering the day that plunged her life into a forever pool of hurt and pain. The day that everything changed. The day the ended the best years of her life. She didn't want to remember, but she always did.

She knew that she could never forget. She would never forget what he did. She hated him even more knowing that she would never forget what he took from her life.

_Flashback _

_Jean stirred. Her head hurt and felt heavy. Her first intention was to run a hand to her forehead. But her hand wouldn't move. Jean blinked back her eyes, clearing her blurry vision. She looked down towards her arm and noticed her arm was strapped down. She was strapped down to a table. But someone had lifted the table up, she shifted trying to loose her hands. It was of no use. Jean couldn't move. Someone had gone through all the trouble of making sure she couldn't get loose. But perhaps that someone didn't know she was a mutant. Jean tried to use her telekinesis to loosen her bonds, but her mind was still weak. And Jean noticed she couldn't even lift a flowerpot with the level her TK was on right now. _

_Jean tried to shut her eyes and remember what happened to her. But she couldn't. All she knew was that her head hurt like hell. She tried moving her neck, she could move it, but someone had attached some kind of collar on it. So of course, moving her head was uncomfortable. _

_Jean groaned and shifted uncomfortably. _

_"Uh, you're up. I was wondering when you'd wake." _

_Jean's eyes darted to the location of the male voice. He's voice was deep and harsh. She wouldn't doubt for an instant that he wasn't good. She squinted her eyes, But everything was so dark around her, all she could see was the shadows. _

_"Wh-Where am I?" Jean asked instead. _

_"In a lab, far away from civilization." _

_Jean couldn't understand what anyone would want with her. But than she couldn't remember the past few days. _

_"Why?" Was all Jean could gasp out. _

_"Why what My dear? Why here? Why you?" _

_Jean just nodded hoping the man could see her._

_"I have waited many years for you." The man said walking a little closer to her, but he remained in the shadows. _

_"But-what have I done?" _

_"You have done nothing wrong. It isn't you." _

_Jean was having a hard time understanding._

_"Than what?"_

_"You're a mutant are you not?" _

_"Wow thanks for shedding some light on that for me." Jean said sarcastically. _

_The man ignored her comment. _

_"Don't bother using your powers to try and free yourself. It would be of no avail. That collar I placed on your neck prevents your special 'X-gene' as they call it, from flowing into your bloodstream, therefore preventing you of use of your powers, Miss Grey." _

_Jean was shocked, how did he know her?_

_"How do you know my name?" _

_"Ha, believe me Miss Grey, I know all about you." The man replied not answering the question in it's entirety. _

_"Can I at least get your name?" Jean asked, knowing she'd have to be satisfied with the answer he had given her._

_The man seemed to know a lot about her. Normally this would have frightened her. But for some reason she didn't seem frightened. Just angry at the man for kidnapping her, and than of course bonding her. But than again, Jean wasn't so sure if she had been kidnapped. _

_"For now, Miss Grey, you may call me a friend." _

_"If you're such a friend, than why do you cower in the shadows? I hope you're not afraid of me?" _

_The man chuckled. "Ha, no of course not. I'd just like to remain anonymous until the rest of my plan is complete." _

_"The rest of your plan?" Jean repeated. "I'm part of your plan?" Jean asked feeling the anger rise within her. She hated being used. _

_"Well, you're one half of it." _

_"One half? What do you mean?" _

_"I mean what I mean Miss Grey. You're one half of my plan." _

_Jean glared at him, not knowing if he saw her or not. _

_"You do know my friends will search for me? They'll find you." _

_"Ha, ha, will they?" _

_Jean gave him a puzzled look._

_"Your friends will come looking, I guarantee that. But they will not find me, oh no, on the contrary my dear, they'll find you…" He paused before continuing, "But how can they save a dead woman?" _

_Jean felt her heart beat harder at the notion of death. _

_"What- What do you mean?" _

_"You'll be long gone by the time your friends find this place." _

_"But-they'll-how…." _

_Jean's voice trailed off as she came to terms with the reality of the situation. _

_"Scott will come looking for me!" Jean shouted at him. _

_"Is that a threat Miss Grey? Because believe me, I look forward to his coming." _

_Jean just wasn't understanding any of what he was saying. _

_"Please you have to let me go. You don't want to leave me here." _

_There was a pause in which Jean hoped he was considering freeing her. But unfortunately he had not thought all that hard on it. _

_"Shhhh….hush now. You need your rest." He walked towards the door and Jean had to assume he had it opened because a splinter of light flooded across the cell. _

_"No I don't! Please! Tell Me what I'm doing here!" Jean pleaded._

_The man hesitated, thinking, she heard ruffling and than the door slammed shut as the man changed his mind._

_Jean remembered only blackness then for a time, until the man came to talk to her a second time._

_"Alright," He said, "I spoke to one of my acquaintances… And he told me that the preparation is ready and that I can now proceed with my plan." _

_"What do you want?" _

_He smiled._

_"What I want is you. I believe we've been through this already." _

_"But why?" _

_"Why?" He walked closer to Jean. _

_Finally Jean was able to see his face. It was very pale and hideous. His eyes were colored blood red and black markings ran across his cheeks and forehead. His thin lips were colored a deep red and formed into an evil smiled as he saw the reaction on her face. _

_"Ah yes, my typical reaction." _

_"W-What are you?" _

_"Now, now Miss Grey, Is it that hard to believe that someone like me exists? Surly, you've seen mutants more hideous than I." _

_Jean remained silent. _

_"Ah giving me the silent treatment are we?" _

_"I suppose it's alright if I give you my name." He traced a cold pale finger across Jean's cheek. _

_"Nathaniel Essex. Well that was my name… a few centuries ago. But now, well, you may call me Sinister." _

_"Sinister?" _

_"Ha, that's right. You catch on fast. Of course I myself am not a mutant. Ha, no. I was created, transformed, into who I am today." _

_"But what-why are you doing this! What do you want from me!" _

_"I am a scientist Miss Grey, I only want what all scientist's do." _

_"What?" Jean was almost afraid to ask. _

_"DNA, Genetics, Human bodily tissues, vaccinations, anything… including blood." _

_Jean's eyes widened. "W-What?" _

_Sinister grabbed a knife off the table to his side. _

_"From your blood I can attain your DNA." _

_"But why? Why mine?" She asked frightened and confused._

_"Because Miss Grey, your mutant powers have a huge potential. You see you have the potential to become a very powerful mutant. But you see the future for mutants isn't looking all that bright, and you are one of the very few mutants whose powers have the potential to make them very powerful, you are liabilities for the future. I picked you my dear, because you are at the top of that list. You are of course perhaps the only mutant as of now, to have so much potential. Obviously that power and potential must run in your DNA, your blood. Your offspring will inherit those genes, that potential." _

_Jean struggled with the restraints placed across her arms and legs pinning them to the standing table. "What are you going to do to me?" _

_He traced the knife from her cheeks and coursed the blade down her body slowly. _

_"Please don't do this." _

_"My dear, I am a scientist this is what I do. With you blood and that of another mutant like yourself, I can created the ultimate mutant! The mutant to start the war, and the mutant to end it!" _

_"Why do you want to kill me?" _

_"Well I'll have to. You see once I extract your DNA through your blood you'll be forced to have to die a slow and painful death." _

_The blade came to rest on her abdomen. _

_"But perhaps I can just extract the DNA from your unborn child, after all it is Grey-Summers DNA, isn't it?" Jean remained silent obviously shocked that he knew. _

_Sinister continued, "Well so I'm told. What do you think?" _

_"Please…No…"_

_"Ah… but why not? Do you realize the future potential of this child? Think of the potential for evil!" _

_"But why now! Why this way?" Jean pleaded. _

_"Because I have waited for this opportunity for years, why wait any longer?"_

_"What do you think you're going to accomplish by extracting my DNA?" _

_"Uh, not your DNA. I want the DNA from your baby to be exact. I can than used it to create a whole army of powerful mutants." _

_"How are you going to do that?" _

_"No, No it's nothing like what you think., I'm going to clone her. Cloning to me is a much more effective method, you see it's faster and brings the same results; strong healthy babies which I can than rapidly age progress into a young adult in the matter of an hour. You see it's much simpler that way." _

_"So okay, once you get what you want, What's going to happen to me?" _

_"Well I believe you have a good idea of your fate, but I'll fill you in. Once my extraction is complete I'll have no further need for you or the child." _

_Sinister held up the knife in his hand Jean squinted as the light bounced off of the shiny blade._

_"Have you ever heard of the legacy virus?" He asked setting down the knife and picking up a cylinder canister from the small tray sitting to his left. _

_"The what?" _

_"It's a very rare incurable highly lethal genetic disease, that proves very fatal to homo sapiens with mutagenic DNA." _

_"In other words it targets only mutants?" _

_"Yes it is attracted to your genetic molecular structure, because of this it affects only mutants and no one else." _

_"So you're going to kill me?" _

_"I don't believe I stuttered, of course I am. Just so you know You'll begin to feel it's effects almost immediately as it slowly flows throughout your bodily system. Little by little the virus will eat away at your flesh and leave in its place pure organic steel. Until finally it reaches your heart and painfully eat away until your heart is left hard, cold and motionless. I'm afraid the whole procedure is extremely painfully slow, by the time it's entered until the time it's finished you'll be wishing for death." _

_"What's going to happen to my baby?" _

_"My dear by infecting it directly your baby will be the first thing the virus comes in contact with." _

_"You bastard! Go to hell!" Jean shouted tears running down her face. _

_An angry scowl erupted on his face. He grabbed Jean's face with his hand. Jean tried to free herself but his grip on her was tight. _

_Sinister's red eyes glared. "Suppose I take you with me?" _

_Jean glared at him, she spit on his face and he pulled back dropping the knife. _

_He wiped his face with the back of his hand. _

_"A feisty girl, you're more trouble than I interpreted you would be." _

_"Get used to it." Jean's said eyes flaring._

_"Indeed." Sinister grabbed the knife off the floor. He held it upright in his hand. It glinted off the lights as he stared at it. _

_"The normal way to go about this is to stick a needle in your arm and suck your blood up from it. It is a fast and merely painful procedure.. But with this procedure I think I'll try something a little different." _

_"Do whatever you have to, to me, But leave my baby alone." _

_"Aw how sweet. But I'm afraid I can't do that. However I will promise you that your baby will suffer none. On the other hand, you my dear, will suffer greatly." _

_Sinister walked close to Jean. He traced the knife around her face. _

_"You are such a pretty girl. I hate to do this to you." _

_"No you don't. A being such as yourself cannot hold such remorse." _

_Sinister's eyes flashed but the moment passed as he suppressed his anger. _

_"Is that so?" _

_"How could it not be? You're all alike, evil and cold hearted. You cannot feel a single thing." _

_"I'm not like the rest! I'm a scientist!" Sinister shouted pushing the knife closer to her chest, but not hard enough to pierce her skin. _

_"I am a scientist, Miss Grey." Sinister repeated calmer. He traced the knife slowly down from her chest. _

_"You may think that but you're all the same." _

_"Keep it up girl, and you'll grant yourself an early death warrant." _

_"I do not fear death and I sure as hell don't fear you!" _

_"You're courageous I'll give you that. But lets see how long your fearlessness lasts." _

_Sinister traced the knife down her body and rested it at her mid section._

_"You know a girl like you must be frightened of something." _

_"I have my fears."_

_"Is that so? Care to share my dear?" _

_"I'd rather not, especially with you."_

_"Well don't worry much longer child, we're almost finished. I just have to extract the DNA from your child, and I'll leave you alone to suffer."_

_"You're one sick bastard, you know that?" Jean shouted her teeth clenched from the pain. _

_"On the contrary my dear, I am merely a scientist doing his job." _

_Jean face stung as her tears merged with the open cuts on her face. _

_Her eyes blazed as tears filled them. Her face became angry and she clenched her teeth._

_"I swear to god if you hurt me I'll—_

_"You'll do what? Kill me? Of course you can't. You'll be long dead by that time and so will your baby." _

_Jean felt the heat rising in her chest, her anger, she was so angry that someone could do this._

_"Oh how I wish I could hurt you right now, You slimy, cold hearted, evil, son of a-_

_Sinister's eyes glared and he could no longer contain his anger. _

_"I will not give you the pleasure of finishing that sentence!"_

_He pressed the blade against Jean's abdomen hard enough to puncture the skin. _

_Jean face coiled up in pain and she held her breath until he withdrew the blade. _

_He picked up the canister and opened the lid. _

_"By exposing the virus into the atmosphere in this room it will be drawn to your mutant DNA and infect you through your open wound. You see it can't do anything to harm me." _

_At that moment, Jean felt useless. She couldn't do anything to stop him. And that made it hurt worse._

* * *

It was a long memory but flashed in Jean's mind for mere seconds.

She shook her head trying to shake it away. It lingered in her head faint and distant, but she could remember it as clear as if it were just yesterday.

But it hadn't been yesterday, it had been years ago, and just by remembering, it hurt her. She still wasn't ready to face all that. It was an emotionally open wound that would probably never heal, unlike her physical wound, Hank had healed it up real well.

Jean turned away from the mirror and dismissed her thoughts. She couldn't live caught up in all that, but there was something she had to do, someone she had to talk to.

"Warren! It's about time you made it here!" Kitty exclaimed running out to greet him.

"Hey." Warren paid the limo driver as he unpacked his luggage from the trunk, before the limo drove out.

"So like how are you?" She asked.

"I can't complain." He shrugged.

"Is there a place I can put these?" He asked motioning towards the suitcases in his hand.

"Oh yeah, like, follow me." Kitty phased through the double doors.

Warren stopped dead in his tracks. "I'm kidding." Kitty said reappearing and phasing a surprised Warren in with her.

"You're room is straight up the stairs and two doors to the right, I assume you're sharing a room with Jean?" Kitty asked once they entered the foyer.

Warren shrugged, "Ah yeah I guess so."

"Like have fun." Kitty said beginning to leave.

"Hey, is Jean around?" Warren asked stopping her.

"Like, I think she's around here somewhere." She said looking around the room.

"Okay, thanks."

"Oh hey and ah, like you might want to give her some space. Being here is kinda bringing up some repressed memories for her."

"Yeah, I understand, but everyone's gotta face their demons sometime."

"I know, it's just, like, I think maybe Jean needs some time alone, to talk to Scott."

"I can understand why she might want time alone, but are you sure she needs time with Scott?"

"Look Warren, Jean's loves _you_. She's marrying _you_. But she does have some issues with Scott. With everything that they've been through, and like, everything that's happened, I would think you'd understand."

Warren scratched the back of his neck and frowned.. "Yeah, Yeah, I do. Is she with him now?"

Kitty shrugged.

* * *

Jean sat in the kitchen looking out the window at the Mansion's gardens. She remembered many years when she would walk out and sit on a bench let the wind ruffle her hair, as the scent of all the flowers filled her with a sense of peace.

But now the gardens held much more meaning to her than that. Whether it was still the sense of peace she didn't know. She hadn't been out there for two years at the most, whereas the gardens used to be the first place she'd go now it'd seemed to be the only area of the mansion she tried to avoid with good reason of course.

She felt arms wrap around her shoulders.

"Hey."

Jean turned around. "Warren!" She exclaimed. She stood up to hug him.

"I'm so glad you're here!"

"Me too."

"I've missed you." She sighed before kissing him.

"Wow, maybe I should leave more often." He said with a smile after they parted.

"Please don't." Jean said sitting down again.

"Well I won't. I shouldn't anyway at least not until a few weeks." He answered as he sat down opposite her.

"So, what are you doing?"

"I was just thinking." She said gaze drifting back to the window.

Warren watched her gaze and looked out to the gardens as well. "Have you been out there at all?"

Jean shook her head. "I've been trying to conjure up the strength to walk out there. I guess maybe I'm afraid of my reaction. I mean I thought everything was behind me but coming back here, everything just brings up a memory from my last year here and it's never a good one. I never thought I'd have to face my demons so close up and personal."

Warren reached across the table to place a hand on hers. "Look if you don't want to get married here, just say the word."

"No, No, I do. Besides by than I'm hoping all of this will be completely behind me."

Warren withdrew his hand. "So have you talked to Scott at all?"

"Yeah, a little. He was avoiding me or maybe it was the other way around. I don't know, I mean for years I loved him and than everything just crumbles like a house of cards. I mean with everything we had to go through, the death, than the repercussions, we were fighting all the time, we were hurting, it was pure hell. I guess neither one of us knows how to comeback after something so devastating."

"Well I think that before we leave here, you should spend more time with him. Working on sorting things out."

"Really?"

Warren nodded. "Yeah, Obviously you haven't quite moved past everything, I just want to see you truly happy, and I more than anyone would love for your pain to go away. But sometimes the only way for that to happen is to face your demons head on."

"I know, but it's so hard. I'm trying to avoid facing my past but it's jeopardizing my future."

"I can tell you one thing Jean, I know what happened you've told me. I believe that maybe you have a lot bottled up. Whether it be emotions, or feelings I don't know. But what I do know is that Scott is probably the only one who can help you to release them."

"So you're encouraging me to talk to him?"

"Look, Jean I know it's a little different for your fiancée to be encouraging you to talk to your Ex with whom, at one time, you shared a lot of love and lot of history, but I don't feel threatened by him. I know you love me, you want to marry me. I wouldn't do it if I didn't truly trust you. And I believe you guys need to work through this amongst each other. You can't solve anything through outside sources, this is something you need to sort through with him."

She sighed and couldn't help but feel guilty. Great, Warren was being completely understanding about this whole mess. And it was a mess, a mess more complicated by what she did the other night. She knew she needed to tell Warren the truth. Otherwise she'd be betraying his trust. She just couldn't bring herself to tell him.

* * *

"Mahn this totally sucks!" 

"What sucks?" Kitty asked looking up from her place of lounging in the living room.

Rogue flipped through channels on the TV. "Nothin'. _The Weather Channel's_ just reportin' that it's supposed ta rahn on Sunday."

"Like, yeah so?"

"Well that's the day we gotta hitch a ride ta New York. And if it's rahning we'll probably have to wait it out a day or two."

"Well I think it's like a good thing."

"Yeah but you actually wanted to come. Ah can't wait till I can get away from Remy."

"You two like havin' a fight?"

"Well he just doesn't get the fact that Ah'm totally not interested. He follows me around like a little pest always showin' off."

"Well I for one think it's sweet."

"Yeah well you weren't tryin' ta take a shower this mornin' with Remy consistently makin' quirks 'bout how we'd have so much fun in the shower together, or how it won't hurt if I kiss him."

Kitty laughed. "Like he actually walked in the bathroom with you in it?"

"Well no, Ah had a towel on. But Ah had to practically threaten to touch him and use his power against himself, just so he'd leave."

"Like, C'mon Rogue cheer up, I mean the guy's like totally crushing on you."

Rogue stood up, "Yeah, whatever." She tossed the remote on the couch next to Kitty. "Ah'm oughta here. Ah'm gonna go get some fresh air 'fore the rahn sets in."

"You'd think with all the time we've been together, she'd actually seem to change, but nope, she's like the same old Rogue from day one."

Kitty whispered to herself flipping the channel until it settled on _The Young and the Restless_.

Kitty smiled satisfied with her choice and set the remote down on the couch next to her. She sat in complete silence enjoying her privacy. She figured it would be about 20 minutes until someone walked in looking to disturb her for some reason. And sure enough 25 minutes gone by and someone disturbed her.

"Hey Kitty, you haven't Scott around have you?" Jean asked as she and Warren walked in hand in hand.

"Like, no I don't think so. You might wanna like try outside I think he want out there with Logan."

"For a training session?"

"No, I think they're like gonna go wash the cars."

"Thanks."

Kitty nodded.

Jean parted her hand from Warrens' and walked out the large glass double doors.

Kitty looked up at Warren. "You're like gonna go let her talk to him, alone?"

"Well ya know, you were right." Warren sighed sitting next to her.

"Well that's like cool, I mean it's not everyday somebody takes my advice."

"Just to let you know, as much as I believe you were right, I still don't know if it was

a good thing."

"Like, don't fret it, Scott and Jean are adults, I think they understand where their boundaries lie."

Warren shook his head, looking at the TV, but Kitty could tell his mind was wondering.

* * *

**Well this chapter you _finally_ found out what happened! Sorta. Well, you know what happened to Jean with her flashback. And next chapter we have a flashback from Scott coming up as Jean confronts him about that night they _shared _together. And we'll find out what the tragedy was, or at least we'll found out _how_ the tragedy played out. Those of you who've read this before, it's the same thing. But I'm leading to a point where we'll deal with the aftermath of the tragedy and we'll get a peek into Scott and Jean's psyche and kinda figure out where they're coming from.**

**So..._clickity-click _on the button to your right! **


	6. Chapter Six

**A TWIST OF FATE**

**Chapter Six**

Jean slid her hands in her pockets as she casually walked up to Scott, who was busy washing his car.

She looked him over and couldn't help the smile the spread across her lips. He was scrubbing his car, shirtless, and she couldn't help but stare at him. He looked good.

At that moment Scott saw her. "Hey."

Jean didn't realize he saw her, caught up in her thoughts.

"Jean?" He repeated, drawing her attention.

She shook her head dismissing her thoughts. "Hey."

"You seemed a little caught up in your thoughts. You ah, wanna talk or something?" He asked casually.

"Yeah but actually I was just thinking how good you look." She said honestly and followed it with a small smile.

That sentence peaked Logan's curiosity from across the parking lot, and he couldn't help but smirk.

"-I mean you're very fit." She scrambled to explain.

Scott set the washcloth on the hood of his car and smiled. "You're looking pretty good yourself."

Jean shrugged. "Yeah I guess."

She looked around nervously appearing to be a little jittery.

"You said you wanted to talk?"

Jean alerted her attention back to him. "Yeah I do."

"Okay so talk."

She stared at Logan nervously. He didn't have to be a mind reader to know what she was thinking.

"Don't mind me. I gotta go teach some runts a trainin' session in a few anyway, might as well take a break." Logan said drying off the rest of his motorcycle before stepping off the pavement unto the grass. It sounded personal anyway, something even he didn't want to overhear.

"Look, Jean if this is about Warren, I know he's here." Scott started after Logan was out of sight.

"Yeah. But it's also about the other night." She added.

Scott nodded. "So that's where this is going."

"Look, it was good, it was great, but it was a mistake. A big mistake."

"So you're regretting it?"

Jean shook her head. "No, No. I have no regrets. It was just a mistake it shouldn't have happened."

"You really believe that?"

"Yeah I do."

"See that's not the way I see it. To me it said something, it said that we have a second chance. Obviously the feelings are all still there and they have gotten stronger."

"Look, Warren loves me, he trusts me and I can't do this. I can't abuse that."

"So you're just gonna cut your losses?"

"I'm not losing anything."

"Is that what you think? That I'm _nothing_?" He asked.

"I didn't say that. Look all I'm saying is that there is too much between us. Too many unresolved issues that by now can't be resolved. I mean we hardly get along as it is." She tried to reason.

"That's _not_ my fault." He said sternly.

"So our constant fighting is _my_ fault?"

"What I _think_ is that you have some personal issues that may or may not involve me, but I think they're the main source of all this hostility."

She nodded to prove her point. "See now we're even making _this_ conversation into an argument. My point is you _had_ my past, and Warren has my future."

"That's _it_? That's all you're going to say? You're just gonna move on to Warren and _forget_ about me?"

"You don't understand, that's not what I want."

"Well Jean, it appears to me that you don't know what you want. So when you figure it out, let me know."

He started to walk away.

"Scott, Why do you have to be like this?" She yelled after him in frustration.

He turned back. "Why do _you_? Have you forgotten what we shared? Here you are totally committed to this guy, to Warren, how do you think that makes me _feel_? You left me like our life together meant _nothing_ to you, but you're going to extreme lengths to preserve your future with _him_. How do you expect me to feel, Huh? _How_?" He asked.

He waited for a response, when he got none, he nodded his head and turned back. "That's what I thought."

Scott walked until he disappeared out of Jean's view. He shut his eyes trying to calm down his raging temper. He couldn't believe things had ended up like this. He knew what had started it, but at that time he didn't know what he was getting into.

_Flashback_

_Hank walked out of the Lab's operating room._

_Scott ran to meet him. "How is she?"_

_Hank remained silent. _

_Scott continued in a worried tone. "Please tell me she's okay…Hank she's okay right?" _

_Hank removed his surgical mask, and fiddled with Jean's chart as he spoke. "I believe you're aware of Jean's condition. As you well know Jean was infected with the legacy virus." _

_"Yeah… and that is?"_

_"A very rare virus. It's only attraction is to mutants because of our genetic makeup. Once infected it'll move slowly through one's system. The symptoms one will feel are weak, faint, aching muscles, sore throat, you'll feel tired, and you could lose temporary consciousness without warning. In whole it'll act like you have contracted a permanent cold. But in truth the virus is working slowly within you, eating away at you from the inside, it'll sink its tendrils into you're DNA strands rewriting you're genetic makeup, replacing it with a polymer not that different than cold, hard steel, until finally there's nothing left of you to corrupt."_

_"And this works slowly… so you can help her?"_

_"Well yes it does work slowly, but all cases are different. I believe Sinister has found a way to speed up the virus' contracting time." _

_"Okay so what do you do?"_

_"Well Scott the virus only targets mutants so of course we'll have to take precautionary measures to ensure our health and safety because all of us here are susceptible to it."_

_"So you're not going to help her?"_

_"No, I will. I've already ran all the basic tests to see what I can give her to help. But the truth is the legacy virus is a modern-day plague, I don't believe there is anything I can do to cure it."_

_"B-But you can help her…right?" _

_"I'm not finished I still have more news. I ran a BP test and Jean's blood pressure is elevated high above normal for a woman who's pregnant. High blood pressure alone is a great health risk to a woman and her baby but Jean not only has high blood pressure she's also infected with a very deadly virus…and Scott…in all truths I don't know what could happen."_

_"Okay so how is Jean's condition now?" _

_"She's still in critical condition but she's stable for now. I have discovered that the stab wound inflicted to her abdomen was used as the entryway for the virus, and I honestly believe that there may be a way that I could drain the virus from her body through tubes that lead the virus into biohazard containers." _

_"Well, yeah, do that…absolutely." _

_"I can't make you any promises…Scott. The procedure is still experimental. There is a 10 chance of survival."_

_"If it'll save both Jean and Rachel-_

_"Yeah…Scott…ah-About that…"_

_"What Hank? What is it?" _

_"I wish there were an easier way to say this but-ah…In normal cases Jean's would be considered a high risk pregnancy. In normal cases of high blood pressure the baby would be at extremely high risk to be born still. But in Jean's case-Well as you know the abdomen was the entryway for the virus-_

_"Yeah so? What's this have to do with our baby?"_

_"The knife that inflicted Jean's abdomen pierced through the uterus, allowing unrestricted access for the virus to pass right through. There's no other way to say this but your baby was directly infected and ah-there's a chance she may not live."_

_"What?"_

_"But there's also a chance she might. Although a slim one. Scott either way by the virus or Jean's high blood pressure…your baby has a grim chance of survival."_

_"Wait, wait, wait…you're telling me our baby will die?" _

_"Scott what I'm telling you is that I can't save them both." _

_"What? Wait….back up I'm confused…what?"_

_"Scott…chances are because of Jean's high blood pressure you're baby will be still born add that with the fact that she has been infected with the virus first hand…I don't see a chance of survival there. Look…Rachel was infected with the virus, her immune system is still to young and weak to fight off such high risk viruses'. Look all I'm saying is that neither one of them has very much longer if I don't get back in there soon." _

_"Okay…so you're telling me that outside or inside our baby's going to die…and Jean…she'll live? Is that what you're saying?"_

_"What I'm saying is…that after 5 months the baby has a chance to live outside of the womb. But your baby probably won't if she makes it out alive. Scott what I'm telling you is that for one to live It would be impossible for me to save the other. I can try to drain the virus out of Jean's body…but in order to do that I'd have to extract your baby. Or I could let your baby live and try to prolong her life to the full term of 9 months."_

_"You mean like use Jean as a human ventilator?" _

_"It has been done…but Jean doesn't have 4 to 3 months to live. Chances are that Jean will die before the baby reaches full term and in that case neither will live. Tests have confirmed that your baby has been fully infected but because Jean's immune system is stronger and because Jean's an adult she hasn't been fully infected and I can still try to save her, but in order to do that I have to do it now."_

_"So you're saying I have to choose?" _

_"I'm sorry Scott…but you're the husband and father, you have to do this. It's your decision. There's no other way…You can choose to save your baby and bring her to full term…or you can choose to save Jean. It's your choice Scott." _

_"B-But I don't want them to die! I-I mean…What would you do Hank?" _

_"I don't know what I'd do in a personal tense…but as a Medical Doctor…I'd say that Jean has the better chance of survival. There is a 90 chance that your baby is stillborn…and the other 10 is that she's not…and normally that would be good…except for the fact that if she's not stillborn she's still infected with the virus and in that case there's no way for me to save her…and I'm sure than that her suffering will be great until she dies."_

_"So you're saying I could choose to save our baby…but to do that most likely I'll lose them both…unless I choose to save Jean…in which case we'll lose our baby. What kind of a choice is that? I can't do it Hank!"_

_"You have to Scott! Look it's your choice but I need an answer now!" _

_"Now?"_

_"Scott you have to make a decision…and you have to make it now while there's still time!" _

_Scott slumped down to the corner of the floor and put his head in his hands.. _

_"Jean has the better chance of survival…?" Scott asked his voice cracking. _

_"Yeah…I can say for a fact that she could come out of this thing alive…which is more than I can say for your child." _

_"Okay…Scott hesitated his heart hurting to even think about his decision "…Jean…" Scott paused fighting back tears to know avail "…try to drain it out." _

_"Are you sure?" _

_"No…But-But she'll live so j-just do it."_

_"I'm sorry Scott I really am. I can't imagine how hard that was for you."_

_"It still is." _

_"Yes…of course. You're sure about this than?" _

_"Hank…how sure can I be? It has to be done if I don't want to lose both of them." Scott snapped his head still in his hands._

_Hank nodded and placed his surgical mask once more over his nose and mouth as he disappeared behind the double doors. _

_Scott stood up weakly, he took a moment to recollect his thoughts. Than in a flash of anger and sadness Scott punched angrily threw the wall before collapsing weakly to the floor in a flood of heart aching tears._

* * *

The memory lingered in his mind a little longer. It had been years ago but the emotions were still so clear in his mind. It was his job as an X-man to work well under pressure, but he couldn't do that he couldn't choose. Little would he know than that It would cost him much more than just his child.

"Hey, you 'kay?"

Scott looked up to see Logan approaching.

"You weren't here for the whole time were you?"

"Nah, I had ta come back out here ta put away my bikes."

Scott nodded as Logan looked him over. "Somethin' the matter?"

Scott shrugged. "I dunno maybe."

"This have ta do wit' Red?"

"Not really, well sorta."

"Oh I see, ya been havin' some problems wit' you memories comin' back ta haunt ya."

Scott looked at Logan quizzically. "How'd you know?"

"There's just somethin' 'bout memories. Sometimes a bad memory will stick wit' ya, everytime ya close yer eyes it's there. Sometimes outta the blue, it fades overtime though, sometimes if yer lucky ya can ferget. But even than you'd give anythin' just ta remember the bad memories just as long as ya got 'em."

"Hey I'm sorry about that, with your memories and everything."

Logan shrugged. "Nah, don't be, it's been a long time. But trust me bub, right now you want so badly ta be rid of all those bad memories, but ya don't, not really. Ya gotta accept the fact that they'll always be there and one day it'll get easier to remember and it won't hurt as much, the only way ya can ever truly ferget is ta have somethin' done ta ya, and you don't want that."

"I know I don't. But that was the day that changed everything. I didn't know that I would have to choose just to get them both taken away from me. When she left it was like they both died. But there was hope because I knew she was only miles away. And that maybe one day she'd be back. Now here she is and everything between us has changed it's not like it used to be."

"It's never gonna be the same again. But I'm findin' it hard ta believe that everythin's changed, you two had such a potential, I can't believe it's just fadin' away."

"Well not everything, I mean everything we felt is still there, all the passion and the chemistry, is undeniable. But Jean-there's something holding her back, as much as I feel towards her…I can feel this sense of hostility but she won't talk to me, and I think it's because she doesn't know how she feels herself."

"Well obviously she's gotta feel somethin' I mean like ya said there's still feelin's between ya-

"-Yeah there is, And I know she knows it. I know she feels something. I _know_ she does."

Scott looked to the ground his mind wandering.

Logan followed his gaze and somehow he could sense what Scott was feeling.

"Hey it'll get easier to deal with. Ya know she's wit' the angels now ya gotta find some comfort in that."

"I didn't think you believed in angels, Logan."

"Look people die all the time. People that _should_ die, but also innocents. Includin' young kids, includin' babies. Fer their sakes I gotta believe they're out there."

Scott looked Logan over as he talked there seemed to be a hint of pain in his eyes.

He nodded his head. "Yeah, I've thought about that. I do take comfort in that. But there are so many times when I just think about what could have been. You know, like I lost so much. I lost my whole life."

"But ya still got one."

"But not with Jean, and that's all I wanted. I would've done anything for her. I would've gone anywhere with her. But in the end, I screwed up Logan. I should've been there for her and I wasn't. I _forced_ her away. She was my _wife_, I should've done _something_."

Logan shrugged. "What could ya have done?"

Scott shook his head. "I don't know, I could've tried harder. I should've tried harder to realize what I had, and not what I'd lost. Jean is…she's…everything to me."

"I know that, kid. I know that."

Scott continued; "She's just. She's everything that I ever wanted. She's—She's perfect, you know? Perfect for me. I know what she is, and I know what it is I lost. At least I know _now_, because than I had no idea. But after so many years apart, I realized how much I needed her, how much she meant to me. I didn't know what I had until it was gone. I was such a coward for letting her leave."

"Look ya weren't in the right frame o' mind ta be thinkin' like that."

"Yeah but I gave up without a fight! I mean we fought, but I just _let_ her leave. What was I _thinking_? I just gave up. I thought there was no hope, that I didn't deserve her. So I let her leave. I mean for months after that, I just, I wanted her to be happy. So I gave up! I gave up and I gave her what she wanted, I signed the papers, and now…_Now_ I have _nothing_."

He ran his palm across his face.

"And it doesn't matter, you know? Because what I felt, It's the worst kind of pain. No matter how many children you have it'll never make up for the one you lost. Jean knows that, and I think that she blames me for it. I was the one that told her we lost our baby, and than I had to tell her it was _my_ choice. After that, she was angry, devastated, we just both broke down. And somewhere along the way, whatever we had, whatever we shared…We lost it. We lost it." He repeated.

"There was nothing you could've done. Ya gotta get that outta ya system. Ya can't afford ta think that way."

Scott shook his head. "I don't know what I'm doing Logan. I don't know where to go from here. I keep thinking that it'll get better, but I lost _everything_, and now I don't know how to move on from here. I don't know what to do. I love her, Logan. I love her, she's all I want. I lost her once, I can't do it again."

"Scott, ya can't do this ta yerself." Logan sighed.

"I just don't know what else to do." He replied, distressed.

"Yer too hard on yerself. Ya don't believe that this is somethin' ya can get over."

"Because I can't! This isn't something that's going to heal. I don't know, but some wounds get deeper with time."

"So what, yer tellin' me that yer givin' up? That's it? After all these years, yer just lettin' it go, just like that?"

"What else can I do? There's _no_ _hope_."

"What's that mean?"

Scott shrugged. "She _doesn't_ want to be with me Logan, she's made that _very_ clear."

"Than do the only thing ya can do." Logan suggested.

"What is that?" Scott asked.

Logan sighed and paused momentarily before he replied,

"Ya need ta let 'er go, Scott. _Let_ 'er _go_."

Scott shook his head. He didn't want to. He didn't want to.

"Alright, look I gotta get goin'." Logan said, excusing himself.

He patted Scott's shoulder in passing. "Do what ya feel ya have to."

* * *

Logan sat down on the couch next to Warren.

"Hey Logan." Warren smiled weakly.

Logan formed a gruff smile. "Nice ta see ya 'gain."

"I'm sure you heard the news."

"Yup, sure did. Congratulations are in order."

"Not yet."

Logan popped out a claw and used it to open the lid of his beer as he replied. "Meanin'…"

"Well we've set a date, but who knows what'll happen before than."

"Yeah I hear it's next year."

"It's what Jean wants."

"But it's not what you want?"

Warren shrugged. "I just want her to be happy."

Logan took a swig of his beer. "So ya have yer doubts?"

"Jean's just got a pretty complicated history. I mean she shares a lot with Scott…"

"I see where this is goin'. Ya feelin' like ya can't compete with him? With everythin' that they've shared?"

"You have to admit, they share history together. _Alot_. There's so much there, a lot of emotions, a lot of pain, a lot of love…" Warren trailed off and sighed.

Logan glanced at the kid from the corner of his eye. "Look if it's any consolation I know fer a fact that Jeannie wants ta move on. I think she really wants ta marry you."

"I hope so." Warren sighed.

"Ya want a beer?" Logan offered.

He nodded.

Logan slid his second beer across the coffee table for Warren.

Logan picked up the remote. "Ya watch this crap?" He asked eyeing the TV.

Warren shook his head. "I wasn't really paying attention, Kitty had it on."

Logan rolled his eyes before flipping the channel.

Warren fingered the beer in his hand, but didn't drink it. Logan noticed it.

"Somethin' the matter?" He asked.

Warren shrugged. "I don't know. You tell me,"

He turned around in the couch to face Logan, anticipating a serious conversation.

"You've watched Jean grow up here, you've watched as her relationship with Scott progressed than deteriorated rapidly. What do you think? I mean what's your opinion on it all?"

Logan sighed and knew the kid was expecting him to blurb out everything he knew and had witnessed in the past years. He frowned and pushed the 'mute' button.

"That's a lot ta ask bub. We're talkin' many years here." He replied.

Warren nodded. "I know."

"Ya sure ya want to hear it? _All_ of it."

"I've got a while. Jean's out in the garden, she's doing something she needs to do. In the meantime, I'm doing something I need to do. I want to hear about Scott and Jean. All of it. Everything you can remember."

Logan nodded and finished off his beer. "Ya want another one?" He asked motioning with the empty bottle towards Warren.

Warren glanced at the full beer in his hand and took a drink before answering, "Sure, why not?"

* * *

**Okay well, we had a flashback there from Scott, and now we know what happened. We don't know _all_ the details, but the death and aftermath and the way it affected both Scott and Jean will be dealt with in the next chapter.**

**So keep it up! And _please_ leave your comments! **


	7. Chapter Seven

**A TWIST OF FATE**

**Chapter Seven**

Jean walked into the garden. She smiled remembering all the times she had spent tending to the plants and flowers.

She walked up to the red rose bush, her favorite plant in the backyard. She had planted it so many years ago and had tended to it ever since. She had left Ororo in charge of it before she left. She could tell that Ororo was taking quite good care of it.

She ran her fingers over the silky red petals as she shut her eyes, remembering one of the better times she had out here.

_Flashback_

_Jean finished watering the rose bush, and picked the biggest and best formed rose off the stem connecting it to the branches. She brought it to her nose and smelled its scented fragrance as the wind of the spring day ruffled her hair. _

_She felt strong arms wrap around her waist and someone pull her close. _

_Jean smiled as she brought the rose down, "Scott." _

_Scott set his chin against her right shoulder brushing his cheek against hers. "Who else would it be?" _

_She let her head fall back against his chest. "Isn't it beautiful out here among all the plants?"_

_"Yeah…I dunno there's something about it that seems so…intimate. Don't you think?" He answered._

_Jean smirked as she turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yeah I do. I never knew you thought of things that way." _

_"Of course I do. Contrary to popular belief I'm a pretty romantic guy." Scott slipped the rose out of Jean's hand and placed it through her hair. _

_"You know, there are times when I look at you and wonder how I can be so fortunate." He brushed his hand across Jean's cheek and through her hair. _

_She grasped his hand and laced her fingers through his._

_"You shouldn't think like it that way, I'm the one who's fortunate…for having you." _

_Scott rested his forehead against hers leaving their lips mere inches apart. _

_His voice became lower, almost a whisper, and more intimate. "I guess that makes us both lucky…for having each other." _

_"Yeah it does. I can't help but think that we were meant to be ever since the beginning, that it was our destiny to be together. I mean I can't remember a time I didn't love you." She replied._

_"You're right, Jean, we were meant to be. Always and forever."_

_"Everything feels so right now, so…perfect. I just, I never want it to end." She sighed almost breathlessly._

_She felt his hold tighten and she could sense his nervousness. "Actually, ah, Jean there's something I want to tell you." He said stepping away and breaking their embrace. _

_She frowned becoming anxious at his apparent nervousness. He motioned for her to sit on the concrete garden bunch. _

_She took a seat, watching him with her eyes the whole while._

_"What is it?" She finally asked._

_Scott bent down on his knees in front of Jean and grasped her hands in his. "I love you." _

_She nodded, her eyes still searching. "I know." She answered honestly, becoming worried at his odd behavior. _

_Behind his glasses, his eyes looked deeply into hers. "I can't live without you Jean, you mean everything to me, do you know that?"_

_She nodded again. "Yes Scott, I know. What's the matter, Sweetheart? Why are you telling me all this?"_

_"What you said about never wanting this to end, did you mean it?" He asked._

_She nodded and held a hand to his face, brushing through his hair. "Of course I did."_

_"I mean it too, Jean. I want this to last forever."_

_He reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet case. She gasped as he opened the lid to reveal a sparkling diamond_

_"Marry me, Jean?"_

_Her hands ran to her face as her eyes began to tear, she forced a broad smile. "Scott…you know I will. You know I will. I want to be your wife. I want nothing more in the world than to be married to you. Yes, Yes!" She exclaimed through her tears._

_Her hands trembled as he let go of his hold and shakily pulled the diamond from it's case. He stared up at her briefly and she shared with him a happy smile. _

_She held out her hand to him and he gently pressed the ring onto her fourth finger. He followed it up by planting a kiss on her hand._

_"I love you…I'll love you forever. That's my promise to you." He was crying now and she nodded as she brushed a tear away from his face._

_"I love you too, I love you too." She bent down to kiss him softly on the lips. _

_He pulled up as they embraced in a tight hug. They pulled apart and both were crying now._

_"I love you Scott. I love you. I never want this to end."_

_"It won't, Jean. I want to be with you…I want it to feel this way forever." _

_"So do I. So much more than you'll ever know."_

_He wiped away tears from her eyes. "I'll love you Jean. I'll love you for the rest of my life. I'll make you happy, I promise."_

_"I am happy, Scott." She reassured him. " I'm happy with you."_

_He caressed her cheek and gazed into her eyes, feeling a sort of contentment that he knew he couldn't feel with anyone else. _

_"I love you, Mrs. Summers." He replied._

_She smiled. "Mrs. Grey-Summers." She corrected._

_He shrugged. "If that's what you want then…I Love You Mrs. Grey-Summers." He repeated._

_He held his hands around Jean's waist as they shared a deeply passionate kiss. _

* * *

Jean opened her eyes. All this was stirring up so many emotions within her. That had to have been the happiest moment of her life. She had loved him so much. She would give anything to feel that way again…it made her wonder why they ever let it go.

She didn't know why she was remembering so much…. why Scott was so frequently on her mind. It was quite possible that she was just feeling guilty of leaving things the way she had between them. Maybe she just yearned for closure…or maybe… for Scott.

She shook her head. Either way that didn't matter now, Scott wasn't what had brought her out here in the first place, well maybe somewhat…but not entirely.

She walked to the edge of the garden. She kneeled down next to a stone marker planted firmly into the ground. It was surrounded by very small rose bushes mixed among baby breaths.

She read the inscription carved into the small rectangle stone.

**Rachel Summers**

**May She Rest in the Arms of the Angels**

**August 04 2003**

Jean brushed back a strand of hair as silent tears crept down her face.

"It's been a while huh?" She said quietly placing the rose down on the ground in front of the gravestone.

She traced her fingers along the lines of the engraved letters. "I'm sorry. I really am." She bit her lower lip and paused trying to find the right words to say.

"I only saw you once, and even than, you were so beautiful, so tiny."

She sighed and leaned her head back. She could still remember that day;

The day when Hank came to them and told them that their daughter had taken a turn for the worst and that he felt they should wait with her while she died.

For three days they hadn't been able to see her. Hank hadn't wanted them too. Xavier had agreed, upon the grounds that they wouldn't be able to bear it emotionally. Jean had disagreed strongly, thinking the only thing she wouldn't be able to bear would be to _not_ even see _her daughter_ at _all_.

Than during the middle of the night, they had roused from their sleep and for the first time in Seventy-Two Hours, they got to lay eyes on their daughter. Their calmly sleeping daughter.

Hank had placed her in an incubator, and had aided her development with breathing tubes. Larger tubes lined the back of the incubator, connected to round portals that led inside the clear box. The tubes than connected to complicated machinery in the lab Jean hadn't even seen before. She'd assumed that a couple of the tubes, some of which led to connect to smaller tubes taped to her daughter's body, Hank had been using to try and drain the little baby of the virus, like he had Jean. She didn't want to know what the rest were for, and to this day she never asked Hank what he had used them for that night.

That night, after they had slipped into hospital scrubs and face masks for safety purposes, the baby _was_ infected with the virus after all, they were able to see her.

She was dying, and Hank had assumed that it would be soon. He also knew that sometimes a Father's touch, a Mother's touch, would help the baby to live a little longer. He had heard circumstances in where a critically ill baby would take a turn for the better and eventually would recover. It was astonishing to say the least, by that point the baby is technically labeled to die. In situations where that had happened, the baby's parents had been with it the entire time, holding their hands, talking to them, singing to them, from all Hank could figure out, the Parents love had helped the babies to recover.

He knew little Rachel was beyond recovery, but if Scott and Jean saw their daughter, maybe it would help her to hold on a little longer. He had even allowed them to hold her tiny hands, with gloves on of course.

She wasn't the cutest of babies, very small and wrinkly due to her being premature, and her body was covered with small tubes. But she was beautiful to them, the most beautiful baby they had ever seen. She had Scott's facial features and a small patch of hair, _red_ hair. She had Jean's hair. They wondered than, if she would have her father's looks and her mother's brains, or maybe her mother's looks and her father's brains. To this day, she still wondered for the answer.

Being only six months old, Hank was surprised that their daughter had stayed alive this long. It was to be sure, that everyone had expected her die, quickly and swiftly. But she hadn't. She had survived for three days through. Upon Hank's mention that he honestly hadn't expected her to still be living, Scott had said, "Well of course she is. She's a _Summers_. We're fighters."

She was their little fighter, struggling to stay alive. Well she was _Scott's_ little fighter. She was Jean's _dancer._ Their _Tiny Dancer_, that's what she was.

That night, as Jean held her hand, she sang to her;

"_But oh how it feels so real… Lying here with no one near… Only you and you can hear me… When I say softly, slowly,_

"_Hold me closer tiny dancer… Count the headlights on the highway… Lay me down in sheets of linen you had a busy day today._

_Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band… Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man…_

_Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand… And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand…"_

Her tiny dancer was struggling to breathe the entire time, Hank also confirmed that she was in a lot of pain. He said that he assumed she was too young to feel anything, but she _did_ feel the pain. That that's all she _could_ feel. He reassured them that he was running huge amounts of morphine through her system by the seconds, so that she wouldn't have to feel it as bad.

Shortly after that, With Scott and Jean holding her hands, she _died_. She just _stopped_ struggling to _breathe_.

It was painful to watch her die, they could literally _feel_ the life go out of her. But Jean had taken comfort in knowing that she wouldn't have to struggle to live anymore, that she wouldn't have to feel pain anymore.

Their daughter had put up a good fight, Three days. Roughly Seventy-Two hours, that's how long she had lived. That's_ how long_ she had_ fought_.

Jean sighed and brushed away the tears from her eyes as she stared back at the headstone, talking to her daughter.

"I couldn't believe that I could ever love someone so soon. I was with you for only three hours, but I needed only to look at you for an instant and I knew I loved you. You were a part of me, an extension of myself and I can never imagine loving something as much as I loved you. But I guess with as much as I loved you, I didn't love you enough…"

She cried than, as she thought about it. "If I had loved you more…Maybe than you'd still be here."

"I'm sorry for that. I'm so very sorry." She said suppressing her tears.

She crossed her legs behind her and sat on her knees, becoming more comfortable in her position as she continued.

"I don't know what else to say. I knew you only for a moment. I think about what you'd be like all the time. If I could've only seen you for one more minute, If I could hold you and tell you how much I love you, it would've been worth it…It all would have been worth it. It would've have been worth _everything_."

She sighed as she thought about all the pain and heartache that had come in the weeks following.

"But I _did_ know you, if only for an instant. You were my Tiny Dancer and I wouldn't trade that for the world."

Sheleaned back against her legs and whipped her head up to the sky, lost in her own sad thoughts. She didn't even stir when she heard footprints wading through the crisp green grass.

The footsteps stopped and she remained silent she knew who it was.

"I know what you're thinking." Scott said firm but quiet.

Jean didn't open her eyes she remained silent allowing him to continue.

"You're thinking that it's not fair…that this whole thing wasn't fair."

Jean dipped down her head and wiped off her tears. "Yeah…" She said her voice quiet and shaky.

She wiped her palm across her lips. She rolled her eyes upward trying to mask the tears forming beneath.

"You know Scott…It shouldn't have turned out this way. You're not supposed to watch as your child is buried in the ground. It's not right, we shouldn't have had to bury our baby."

"I know. No parent should have to bury their child. It's against the laws of nature." He agreed.

"Yeah it's not fair. But Scott-" She bit her lip as she decided against what she was going to say.

Scott walked slowly towards her, anticipating what she was going to say.

"Look…I know you blame me. You have every right to. But I want you to know that I would give my life to bring her back. I would."

"I know you would. But Scott I can't help but think that--" Again she couldn't bring herself to say it to him.

"Look, I know what you want to say. You want to say it's all my fault." He started taking advantage of her silence.

"You want to say that it's my fault because if I had gotten there sooner, if I had found you sooner, than maybe she would have had a chance. You want to think, what if I had stayed with you, what if I had not acted impulsively, what if I had taken greater precautions…than maybe, _maybe_… she'd still be alive and than all _this_ could have been avoided. You keep thinking, what If it had never happened, what then?"

His voice grew stronger, sterner, as he continued. "Jean…we can't _afford_ to play What if! We have to look at what _is_! And what is, is you had the better chance of living. And because of that, because of _that_ choice…

Our lives have been changed forever and one life is _gone_. But-But we are the lucky ones…our lives may be changed forever but _you're_ still _alive_…_we're_ still _here_."

"Yeah…but that doesn't _matter_, Scott! It's not fair! It _should've_ been _me_! _Not_ her." Jean tried to mask her tears but they rolled down her face anyway.

"_Damn it!_ Why her? Answer me that…Why _her_? What did she _do_ that was so deserving? She was _innocent_ Scott…She was _completely_ innocent!"

"I don't _know_, Jean. I can't tell you why. Don't you think if I could, I would? Wouldn't that be so much easier, wouldn't that make things simpler, less complicated? If we knew why, than maybe we'd be free of this pain. But no one can answer that question for us. _No One._ We have to believe that it was just her time."

Jean was too wrapped up in her thoughts to hear what Scott was saying.

"But it could've been _anyone_ but her…why did it have to be _our_ baby? Why did _we_ have to suffer? Why did _she_ have to die?"

"Maybe it's just what you said, Jean…Because It could've been anyone. Maybe _that's_ why it was _her_…to help _us_."

"With _what_?" Jean snapped, she wasn't understanding.

"I dunno, Jean, I dunno. Maybe there was something about us, something deep, that we couldn't see. Maybe her death was a way of bringing that to the surface, so that we could see it, and we could work through it and move past it…and become stronger _because_ of it…" Scott paused. "…Maybe it was the only way to make us see."

Jean rolled her eyes upward and chuckled slightly at the irony of it all.

"Yeah, we saw it alright." She answered sarcastically. "After her death, we fought, we argued, our marriage crumbled, I moved to the city because we both felt that we needed some space apart from each other. Now here I am at the institute about to marry another man…how exactly has this _helped_ us at all? It just seemed to have drifted us apart from each other. Can't you see it! It _tore_ us _apart_, Scott!"

"It _seems _that way, yeah. But maybe it _isn't _how we think it is."

Jean shook her head, totally confused at Scott's lack of reasoning.

"Okay, so you tell me how _it is_ then." She said doubtfully.

"Look at it this way, Jean…you're right, We _did _drift apart after her death, there's no denying that. But these years that we've been apart, we've had a lot of time to think about what happened to us. I think maybe somehow this has made us realize what we couldn't before. This shared _experience_, shared _pain_, has brought us together in a way we never could have been, had we never experienced it at all. Maybe it was the only way to make us see it, to make us _get_ it, to make us stronger _together_. Our relationship now can be better than ever, because we _see_ that now. We know what it's like, maybe that's _all_ we _needed_ to see and _this_ is what it _took_ to make us know _that_."

She shook her head, disagreeing with him. "No, I think you're _wrong._ What I went through…_my_ personal pain… I _couldn't_ do that again. I want through _hell_ watching our daughter die a slow and painful death…and the repercussions her death brought…I felt _nothing_ but pain and anguish for the longest time. And then I met Warren. I think…I think that maybe this time _I'm_ right."

"You _can't _say that Jean! You don't _honestly_ believe that _this_ was a way to bring you to Warren. You can't tell me you _believe_ that."

Jean sprang up from the ground. "_Why_? _Look_ at _us_! _Look_ at what this _did _to us! You _can't_ tell me that you still hold out _hope_?"

"I do! I _believe_ in us, Jean! I believe in us."

"Well I've stopped believing!"

"Why are you so _determined_ to give up on us!" Scott quizzed not understanding.

"Because…_whatever_ we had _between_ us… it _died _with her!" She answered forcefully.

"_What_?" He gasped out, punctuating the word firmly.

"We, _whatever_ we _were_, died when she did! And we _can't_ bring that back. _Not ever_! It went into this grave with her!" She yelled pointing to the headstone by her feet.

"You _don't_ believe that!" Scott was near tears, he hadn't expected her to deny this, to deny _them_.

She shook her head and took a moment to calm down. She ran a hand across her forehead and sighed wearily.

"Right now…I don't know what I believe." She replied, her tone lowered.

Scott sighed and lowered his voice, though it remained tense and firm. "Look Jean, I'm not blaming you for being angry-"

"-Thank you, Thank you, that helps." She interrupted him dryly, not really considering his words.

Scott ignored her comment and continued. "-Look, you have every right to be angry, so do I. I mean I could hate myself, and rage at the world, but it's not going to bring her back."

He stepped forward but stopped as she stepped back, and he realized she was keeping her distance from him.

"I don't hate _you_ Scott, I hate what you _did_, but I don't hate you." She tried to reassure him, but he couldn't help but notice the cool tone in which she said it.

"But Jean, whether you hate me or not, It _isn't _going to bring her back. You have to _let it go_."

"I don't think I can." She answered honestly.

"Why can't you just accept the fact that Rachel is _dead_?" He asked. "She's _not_ coming back! Why can't you just accept that?" He asked vehemently.

"I can't!" She clenched her teeth as she yelled at him.

"Jean, by keeping her alive, in your heart, in your mind, it's preventing you from moving on!" He yelled trying to reason with her.

"I _have_ moved on!" She tried to convince him.

"You keep saying that! You keep saying that and I know it's because you're trying to convince _yourself_! But you _haven't_. What you're doing to yourself… if you're keeping her alive… then you still haven't let go!" He assessed.

"You don't understand!" She yelled back at him.

His body stiffened with the force of his words. "Then h_elp_ me understand!"

"She has too!" Jean shouted. She cast her eyes to the ground as she lowered her voice and continued.

"What you don't understand is that she has to stay alive for me. I _can't _let go! As long as she's alive in my heart, in my mind, than the pain of losing her is easier to bare. I don't want to be the kind of person who spends every night and day in her room crying, who wakes up every morning wandering what she has left to live for. I _don't_ want that to be me. And as long as our daughter is alive in me… I'm _not_ that person." She finished.

"But you can't keep hanging on to Rachel. Everything you said, it's all _normal_, Jean, it's all normal. Look you're in pain and you're mourning, it's usual for you to feel that way. But eventually you're gonna have to let it go. You will _have _to. It isn't healthy to keep living like this."

"What do you suggest I do, Scott? I can't help it! This is how I _feel_, I can't changethat."

"I'm _not_ asking you too! I'm _telling_ you, for your own sanity, that you _need _help. If you can't get beyond this, than it'll _destroy you_. It'll _kill_ you off, _piece by piece_. Trust me, I've _been _there. It's _devastating_, I know, and it's so _damn_ hard. But right now this is a reality that you haven't been able to come to grips with. And maybe by holding onto our baby's death and by not letting go, it's your minds way of cushioning you from a reality you're not ready or willing to accept."

Jean shook her head, completely understanding but trying to fight away all reason. "What are you saying Scott?"

"Look all I'm saying is that what happened, _happened_, we can't _change _that. Sure maybe it wasn't meant to happen, we _make_ the choices in our life, therefore we _chose_ for it to happen, but however we feel about it, it _did _happen. She _is_ dead. And we gotta think to ourselves, we gotta think that maybe Rachel died because she was _meant_ to die. No one could have prevented it." He said boldly.

"She was _Innocent_, Scott! She was completely _Innocent_!" Jean repeated as she shouted through clenched teeth.

"But it was _never_ meant for her to _live_! _Never_!" Scott yelled back exasperated.

Jean struggled to find the words to say as the realization that Scott was right, hit her like a hard blow to the chest. She shook her head, trying to dismiss his words, wanting to not believe him.

"No you're _wrong_!" She tried to sound convincing, but they both knew how deceiving her words were. They both knew that he wasn't wrong.

"I'm not! Jean...you know it! You know I'm not."

Jean stared at Scott her eyes glistening.

"You know I'm right." He said sternly. He walked slowly towards her, this time she held her ground but did not move.

There was a moment of silence as Scott waited to hear Jean's response. Tears streamed down her face as she came to grips with the reality of the situation.

"Why her? Scott? Why _our_ baby? It shouldn't have _happened_ like this! Why did it have to be _us_? She was completely Innocent!" She yelled through tears. Her cries were that of anger, of sadness, and of just plan distress.

Scott shook his head in reply. "I don't know, Jean. We'll never really know. You know that. But we gotta believe that she was never meant to live a full life, that she was born to help us. We gotta believe that there was nothing we could've done. "

Jean tried to control herself as she shook her head trying desperately to deny what he had told her. "No…No that's not true!"

Scott tried to wrap his arms around her to comfort her, but she stubbornly pulled away from him.

"Jean…" He said quietly. She was in obvious physical pain and he wanted so badly to reach out to her.

She was emotionally and physically drained and the strength of her pain became more than her weak body could bear as she fell to the ground on her knees.

"_I can't believe it_. I can't believe it's true." She murmured burying her face in her hands.

Scott kneeled down besides her body and touched her cheek with his palm. He managed to get her to look up at him.

"It _is_ Jean. She's gone." He answered.

Jean turned to her left as she looked at the gravestone, tracing the indented letters with her fingers as Scott continued;

"Stop holding onto something that was never meant to be. Let her go." He was quiet but his voce was persuasive and she felt too weak to stubbornly ignore his words.

He tried to take her in his arms but she pulled angrily away from him. He sighed, it was frustrating trying to get through to her.

"I went through what you're going through now, maybe it's not exactly the same thing, but I can tell you this, you have to make peace with her death, stop fighting, stop trying to place blame, you have to realize that it was meant to be. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you'll be free."

Jean looked into his glasses, she could sense his eyes looking deep into hers. Tears fell free from her eyes and Scott pushed back a strand of hair from her face.

She nodded her head in understanding, her breath caught in her throat as she cried hard and silently.

Feeling too weak and tired to even respond, her tenseness loosened and she let her body fall into his awaiting arms.

She rested her head against his shoulders, as her arms held tight together against his chest.

Scott stole a glance to his right and momentarily looked over his daughter's gravestone before wrapping his arms around Jean in a tight, comforting embrace.

"It's okay…It's okay. We'll get past this." He whispered into her ear reassuringly, as she cried in his arms.

He sighed and kissed her hair. "We'll get through this together, I promise."

He said the words that he should have said years ago, the words that months ago she had longed to hear. Words that were now, two years too late.

He kissed her again, resting his face against her hair as she continued to cry.

He comforted her now with the words he should have years ago. Back than, they would have been all the comfort she would need. Too much time had passed since the day he should have said those words to her, and now he didn't know if it was enough.

* * *

Logan took the last swig of beer from the bottle and set it on the table next to three already empty ones.

Warren was still working on his second, but the two men didn't seem to notice as they were both caught up in an enlightening conversation. Warren chuckled as Logan mentioned something about Scott and Jean's first meeting and continued from there;

"…Look the one thing I noticed the day that Jeannie arrived here, is that she had an amazin' affect on him. He just kept sayin' 'Wow' the entire time. I truly think he was in love wit' her from day one."

Warren smiled. "Yeah she sure has that affect, I'll tell you that much. I remember thinking that too. But back then I was just glad she was there to help me get my mind all straightened out after the Morlocks' gang thrashed it. I couldn't remember much about it, but afterwards she was very vivid in my mind, I just had to get to know her better." He reminisced.

Logan nodded as he took in the young man's recollection.

"I wouldn't usually say that this is the kinda stuff I like ta notice, but bein' in this place fer so long, even it can have some affect on me." Logan wasn't one known to talk about his personal opinions, or anything personal for that matter.

"So you've been here for a while then?" Warren asked as he realized he didn't know much about the older man's history.

Warren took a drink of his beer as Logan nodded.

"Yep. 'Ro and I were Chuck's first recruits. She was just outta high school, and I, well I was a mad man, completely berserk. But ah, We didn't need much trainin' we just kinda held down the fort with Magneto n' everythin while Charles' started this little school here."

"And Scott was the first Student…and then Jean." Warren said connecting it with the information he heard.

Logan nodded.

"Jeannie and Scott were the only students fer 'bout a couple months or so, n' bein' the only two they kinda had ta find some strengths and commonness in each other. So they formed a friendship, it was more of just a liking really. At this time Scott had to wear a wrap around his eyes 'cause he didn't have nothin' fer 'em, to keep the blasts at bay. So Jeannie would read ta him, she would help him wit' his studies. In short for a couple weeks, she was his eyes. And in return he would teach her some karate moves, ya know stuff he had to learn because he couldn't see, self-defense stuff."

Logan chuckled as he remembered his next thought.

"I remember one time when Jeannie got the flu, it was bad cause we had all this stuff all around the mansion, levitatin' everytime she'd sneeze or cough, but finally Slim was able ta go in there and calm her down. I think their friendship actually grew into a deep respect for each other. And it kinda just kept goin' and growin' I guess. Both were close to twelve when they joined so in a matter of five to six years it turned out to be so much more. It was a genuine care fer the other."

Logan paused to open another beer and took a drink before continuing.

"Scottie, he always had a kinda crush on Red, but as he got ta be seventeen, eighteen, ya know he kinda saw his best friend in a way he hadn't before. Ta be honest, I really think it scared him at first. It just honestly terrified him. I'm sayin', here was this girl, his _best friend,_ and he felt very much attracted to her, emotionally and _physically_. It literally scared the _hell_ outta him. He felt so _guilty_ for feelin' that way 'bout 'er. One night, when he could take it no longer, he came ta me and talked about it. I wasn't surprised at all really, but I did sympathize wit' 'im."

His eyes drifted to the side as he recalled the memory.

"Sure he had a crush on her, he'd always known that. But their friendship had always come first. He had pushed back everythin' else that he felt about 'er 'cause he cherished their friendship so much. But ya know, he finally begun ta realize that he was deeply in love with his best friend, and there was nothin' he could do ta change that feelin'. He was so protective o' her. Especially with 'er first boyfriend, I don't 'member his much, some high school jock, a real egotistical loser with a name like Daniel or Don or somethin' like that."

"Duncan?" Warren chimed in. He remembered Jean telling him about her first 'serious' relationship. If she could call it that. She pretty much laughed the whole way through that experience as she recalled it to him.

Logan nodded. "Yeah 'think that was it, Duncan Doughnuts. That kid was a real airhead, just the biggest jerk. Anyway Slim didn't like 'em. Heck _I_ didn't like 'im. Nope, I didn't. I could tell just by lookin' at 'im that his intentions wit' Jean were all wrong. He was just with Jeannie fer her looks. But I knew he only wanted what all high school jocks want from the pretty popular girls. And Scottie wasn't 'bout ta let him get it. But Jeannie's smarter than that, she didn't give it to him, she dumped the pompous loser. O' course if Duncan had done somethin' ta my Jeannie I would have sped up ta his place and ripped out his jugular and let 'im bleed all over the floor as I watch his miserable life fade away." Logan had unsheathed his claws in action, and was staring at the glinting silver as he spoke about terrorizing Duncan.

Warren cringed. "Remind me to always run things by you before I go ahead and do them."

Logan turned to Warren and faintly smirked as he turned his unsheathed claws against the lights, letting it glint in Warren's face. He looked to the three prongs and than back to the blonde millionaire. "O' course I will."

Warren tried to smile faintly back, but the thought of Logan coming to his penthouse in the middle of the night threatening him with six sharp bladed weapons pointed in his face, didn't sit very well with him.

Logan sheathed his claws as the moment faded.

"Well I'm sure ya know how that went. Eventually after Magneto's mutant revelation, Duncan was outta the picture fer good. O' course Scottie didn't have much ta protect 'er from then, 'cept on missions. Bein' field leader he couldn't just pay special attention ta Red, his job is ta look after everybody. As much as he cared fer her he had ta fight his feelings and have faith that Jeannie could handle herself. I don't think anybody else noticed it, but the Prof, 'Ro n' I did. We got ta thinkin' if it got any worse we'd have ta talk to Slim cause we didn't want his feelin's fer Jeannie jeoperdizin' the lives o' the rest o' the team. It had strong potential ta seriously distract 'im in the field. So in a way his feelin's were a liability and we worried 'bout that 'lot. But ultimately he musta realized what his feelin's fer Red were doin' ta him on the field. So somehow he worked it out wit' himself and it didn't escalate and in fact, it got better, he didn't seem ta worry 'bout 'er that much anymore. Musta convinced 'imself that she could handle 'er own."

Warren nodded understandingly as he drank the last bit from his beer.

Logan passed him another one and continued with his story,

"Now I know Redd is the kinda girl who has a certain affect on people. I've known that fer a while. I personally know that she's not perfect, she has 'er demons just like the rest o' us. But Scottie, he found 'er interesting. I remember times when Slim would be sittin' in the lounge with everyone n' Jeannie would enter, if he was talkin' ta someone at the time, he'd keep talkin' but he's focus wit' that person and the conversation would be completely gone. I know, a couple times he was talkin' ta _me_. Ya can't see his eyes from behind his glasses, but I knew. Redd would enter a room and _like that_ in an _instant_ she had him _captivated_. She _fascinated_ 'im. He'd watch her from across the room. His eyes would follow her, he was always lookin' at 'er, watchin' 'er every action, calculatin' it in his head. But the thing is he would watch 'er fer the simple fact that she _kept_ him _interested_. She was so unpredictable to him that everytime she got up he would watch 'er just ta see what she did next, no matter where he was. That's just how she is fer 'im. _Mesmerizin'_."

He sighed deeply. "So you can see why it became a relief fer everyone involved when Scott and Jeannie finally figured out that there was somethin' more than friendship between 'em. 'Course at first, they took things slow, they maintained their friendship, but what was between 'em came on so strong, eventually they had ta realize that there was just too much between them to stay just friends. I don't know what it's like personally to fall in love wit' yer best friend. But I'm bettin' it's pretty nice, the person yer most comfortable wit', yer confident, is the person ya wanna spend the rest o' yer life with. I think in that retrospect, that relationship's made in heaven."

Logan paused to drink from his beer.

"I don't know any of the intimate details, n' I don't care ta know 'em. But everythin' was good fer a while, everythin' was lookin' up, Slim and Redd had such a bright future ahead o' them. They were responsible, smart kids, wit' a baby on the way. I think in a way it scared 'em bein' so young, but in a way havin' a baby is such a great joy, they were elated."

Logan paused and it looked to Warren as if he were remembering from some past personal experience.

He broke the pause soon after and continued.

"So anyway they were lookin' forward to it. I think maybe everyone was. Sorry, I'm gettin' off the subject, anyway everythin' was good up until the sixth month of Jean's pregnancy. We used ta try ta get 'er ta eat more cause ta us, she didn't look sixth months pregnant but she kept telling us that's the way she wanted it. But, ah, We had this huge mission, we had sent a team out earlier in the day, they were newer recruits led by a couple more experienced ones. The older ones finished off the mission and came back, it turned out that a few of the newer recruits we had sent, were MIA and the returning recruits couldn't explain what happened. So Chuck took the rest o' us ta rescue, er find 'em, rather. It turned out they were just smaller pawns in parts o' a bigger game."

Logan took a swig of his fifth beer. Warren noticed this and counted the empty bottles. If it were anyone else but Logan he would become immeadiately worried about that person's present sobriety. But having a healing factor like Logan did, made it almost _impossible_ for him to get drunk. It did _cure_ after all.

"You 'member years ago when we recruited ya to help us face Apocalypse?" Logan asked and Warren nodded.

"Well the mastermind behind this 'game' this 'master plan', was a madman, we called him 'Sinister.' He was once a human known by the name Nathanial Essex. He was a scientist. Apocalypse had found in him 'potential', potential fer what, I dunno. But nothin' good, Apocalypse had always been twisted that way. Sick part o' it was, is that Essex was willin' ta exercise his humanity and be transformed into 'Sinister.' He became Apocalypse's right hand man and head scientist. A red eyed evil serpent, that's what he was. He was willin' ta do anythin' Apocalypse wanted him too. But his main fascination was genetics. DNA of all sorts."

Warren listened attentively now, having not heard any of this before.

"It was only later that we found he was completely obsessed wit' the Summers' bloodline. Fascinated by the mutant potential it held. Guess Scottie's got one o' those heritages. He comes from a long line of strong men, and you know, strong men and good breeding lead to great genetics. And that's what Sinister wanted. Scott was the first Summers' to ever exhibit any indication of the mutant gene. He is also the oldest of the Summers' brothers, so therefore his bloodline was of more consequence to Sinister. He was convinced that Scott's line would be of the most powerful mutants ever known to man. And it was true, he was right 'bout that, Hank had confirmed as much to us."

"So how did all this lead to them losing their baby?" Warren asked. It was a totally warped thing to hear.

Logan shrugged.

"It mighta not been the smartest thing ta do, but after we had beaten Apocalypse, we tried to keep tabs on his colleagues, so ta speak. It took us years, but when we finally got the lead on Sinister, from an anonymous source, Chuck sent only a few o' us ta check it out. It was a smaller lead, and we didn't even know how legitimate it was. After all, we didn't know who had led us there wit' the tip and fer all we knew, it was an older lead, someplace Sinister had been before moving his operations elsewhere."

He sighed as he looked back to that day.

"At the time of the tip, 'Ro, Scottie and I were on a separate mission. We had gotten an even bigger, more legitimate tip, one we _could_ prove, earlier in the day. So we were checkin' that out. Chuck didn't see it important that he flag us down and bring us home to check out such trivial a thing as the anonymous tip since he knew what we were doing was vitally more important. So he appointed Jeannie as captain o' the team. It was a bad decision I know."

He sighed.

"But the irony o' it is, was she was _supposed _ta stay back. We didn't want 'er to jeopardize 'er pregnancy. She was six months at the time, and though she didn't look it, she still _was,_ and participating in field missions could seriously threaten the pregnancy. Chuck did everythin' short o' pushin' 'er out of the plane 'imself, ta get 'er to stay back. But ya know how stubborn she is, she was just as stubborn years ago and somehow she managed to convince Chuck to let 'er _stay_ on that plane. She insisted on helpin'. N' the truth was, wit' the three o' us gone, Chuck _needed_ 'er on the mission, he needed 'er experience. So he let 'er go. Once word got back ta us, Scott freaked out, he didn't want 'er on the field. We were miles away though and couldn't do anything 'bout it. The only thing we could do was convince Jean to keep us posted. And she did."

Logan shut his eyes, as he knew the worst of the memory was yet to come.

"She kept in touch wit' us all up until the point her team got attacked and she was captured. Scottie lost it then, He was so scared fer 'er. I don't blame 'im either. We were all worried. He wouldn't do anythin' but try ta find out what had happened to the team. Right than and there we turned our plane around and searched mercilessly fer hours ta find 'er. Ultimately we did find the warehouse where Sinister held his base of operations. When we got there we split up, and the next thing I 'member is Cyke screamin' fer us, yellin' fer help. I was the closet ta his location and I went blarin' inta the room, and I 'member bein' shocked at first, at the sight, at what I was seein'. I completely froze up." Logan sighed as he remembered his own inadequacy.

"Cyke had cut Jean loose from her bounds, and was holdin' 'er in his arms, and there was _blood_ everywhere. She was _soaked_ in blood. From her stomach, face, chest, there was blood _everywhere_ on 'er and on the floor, some of it even on Scott and I couldn't tell if it was his or hers, I couldn't tell where _any_ o' the blood was comin' from. I've killed lots o' people in my life without remorse, Trust me, I've seen some gruesome things, but nothin' prepared me fer this. And I honestly believe it was 'cause I'd never seen anythin' like it 'fore, not ta people I _care_ 'bout. I didn't know what ta do, and Scott, he was freakin' out, just literally screamin' and shouting Jean's name, and I just _stood there_, I couldn't bring myself ta do _anythin'_. Eventually we got 'er on the plane and back to the mansion, but it was just so horrible, so ghastly. It tore me apart ta see 'er that way."

Logan sighed and suppressed his emotion as the moment came back to him. He sighed heavily and rested from his storytelling as he took a sip from his beer. He glanced to Warren who was shaken up by the visualization Logan's detail had put in his mind. "I trust ya know the rest."

Warren nodded. "Yeah, Scott felt that he was too late in finding her, and because of that and the fact that she was infected with the virus, they lost their baby."

Logan nodded. "Yep. It's a wonder Scott didn't become infected with the virus 'imself after all the contact he had with Jean's contaminated blood. Hank had him tested just to be precautious, I guess the result was that Scott had an immunity of sorts, well no one can be _completely_ immune to it, but it was still a wonder he came out of it without any contamination whatsoever. The weeks that followed the death really put a strain on the couple. I think because of all the anguish that they had ta face, and their hidden emotions about it, a wall built up between 'em. Scott was the one who told Jean that the baby didn't make it. Losin' a baby is a terrible, terrible tragedy. It was devestatin' ta 'em ta say the least. It's the worst kind o' pain."

Warren watched Logan as he talked. It seemed like he was talking so intimately and personally from experience that he had to wonder if it were still Scott and Jean's pain the older man was talking about. He hadn't remembered hearing anything from anyone about Logan's family. As far as anyone knew the man didn't have a family. Sure he didn't _now,_ But maybe he had _once_.

"Jeannie didn't take the news well, she was mad and heartbroken. When Scott finally told her that it was _his_ decision, she understood what he had ta do and why he did it, but that understanding didn't make it any easier for her. She was so angry wit' him. She blamed him for what they had lost. Truth is, if ya ask me, I don't think Jean knew _how_ to react. Scott… he had faced losin' people he loved years ago, wit' his parents deaths. But Redd never had ta experience that and it was a new feelin' fer her, and it was so hard.

Losin' that little baby, losin' Rachel, was the hardest thing fer all of us. We had watched them grow closer and we were forced ta watch them tear apart. It was frustratin' to say the least 'cause there was _nothin'_ we could _do _'bout it. It was the most heartbreaking thing to all of us. You could say it was the last tick on an already tickin' time bomb.

But _I_ don't believe that. I don't believe that their young daughter was the one that would hold their relationship together and I don't believe that she's what would have broken it. From what I saw it was just a whole bunch of miscommunication on both sides. Jeannie had gotten an application months earlier ta attend NYU but she wanted ta stay near Scottie, n' than she got pregnant, and her priorities changed.

But when the baby died, Jean had nothin' ta stay 'ere fer, least that's how she felt. She was fed up wit' it all. Felt she needed a change, she needed ta escape everythin'. So she accepted the application. She tried talkin' ta Slim reasonably tellin' him why she was doin' what she was doin', she tried ta get him ta understand, tried ta talk ta 'im 'bout everythin' she was feelin'. She wanted 'im ta help 'er out, she _needed_ him and he couldn't be there fer 'er. She tried ta get him ta go wit' 'er. She _wanted_ 'im ta go wit' 'er. She was angry and in pain, but she more than that, she still _loved_ 'im wit' all her heart and wanted things ta work out between 'em."

Logan shook his head softly.

"But things didn't. As deep as their love was, they couldn't make things work. Scott just shut 'imself off from everybody, includin' Jeannie. It was hard fer her ta leave 'im, but he _told_ her too, he _asked_ her to go, said he needed the space, the time apart. She loved 'im, she tried gettin' through ta 'im wit' that, but he wasn't hearin' her. They fought that night. They fought and said so many angry words ta each other, so many hurtful things, then she left, heartbroken. I dunno what he said to 'er that night, but ever since then she's been determined that she doesn't need him in her life anymore. I dunno what want on that night but shortly after Jeannie arrived in the city, she filed and Scott received divorce papers in the mail."

Warren frowned. _Divorce papers_? Jean hadn't told him _that_. He hadn't known that she had once been married to Scott.

"She was…She was _married_ to Scott?" He asked.

Logan nodded and looked to Warren. "Yeah, ya didn't know that?"

Warren shook his head and shrugged. "No…" He answered quietly.

Logan nodded again. "Yeah they were eighteen when they married, _everyone_ thought them too young, but the fact is, both of 'em turned nineteen later that same year, and no one really did anythin' ta prevent the marriage. Her parents tried talkin' to 'em of course, so did the Prof, but they were so much in love and we could all see that. None of us had any _serious _objections to the union, so that was that I guess."

Warren's eyebrows shot up in revelation. "Oh. Wow. I didn't…I didn't know _that_."

"Jeannie didn't tell ya?"

He shook his head. "No. No. She didn't…she didn't say a word about any of that."

"But you knew 'bout the baby?" Logan clarified.

"Yeah, Yeah, I did. But I didn't know that she had _married_ Scott. She didn't tell me that. Why didn't she tell me that?" He frowned and looked to Logan expectantly as if he would have told him the answer.

"Why would she keep that from me?" He asked again more to himself than anyone.

"I dunno, kid. I don't see the reasons why she wouldn't tell ya."

"Unless she didn't want me to know." Warren said quietly, again more to himself.

"Well I don't understand why she wouldn't. It was no secret that Scottie and Jean were together, in fact it was immensely obvious. But it was no secret that they probably would be for the rest o' their lives. By just lookin' at 'em together ya could tell that these were people who really didn't want ta be with anyone else."

Logan sighed and sipped his beer, he wasn't sure if he should continue.

Warren took the hint that he was a little reluctant to continue sharing, and he realized that Logan was definitely trying to tell him something.

"So Scott and Jean, they share something that's unbelievable? Their love is unbreakable. Is that what you're trying to tell me?" He frowned as he asked the question.

Logan shrugged. "I never said that."

"Yeah but you did say is that Scott and Jean share something that _you_ believe to be indestructible. I mean you do believe that they share a bond deeper than you can imagine, deeper than you could ever think two people capable to share, that's what you're trying to tell me."

"Look, Warren, I like ya, yer a good kid. But—"

"—But what? What are you saying?" He asked.

Logan shrugged. "Look, I just want ya ta know."

"So, what, you're saying you _don't_ want Jean to marry me?" He asked.

"No. I'm not sayin' that at all."

"But you _are_ preparing me. You're telling me all this so that I can be prepared for a fall. _That's _what you're doing." Warren had it figured out.

"Ya gotta understand kid, when yer wit' Jeannie, wit' Scott, ya _gotta_ be prepared fer _that_."

"You don't think it's over, do you?" Warren asked softly.

"No. I _don't._" Logan answered forcefully.

"So you think I should—"

Logan shook his head, cutting the young man off. "_Nope_. I'm not suggestin' ya do anythin'. As long as Redd's happy, I don't care who she's wit' or what she does."

"Than why tell me all this, Logan?" He asked.

The Canadian turned to Warren with a smirk. "Cause ya _told_ me _to_."

Warren sighed and cast his eyes to the ground. "I did, didn't I?" He confirmed with a heavy sigh.

Logan looked to the kid as he drank the last swig of his beer and dumped it on the table next to the other four empty bottles.

Warren turned his bottle over in his hands, but didn't drink from it.

"Well I believe ya know the rest o' the story better 'en I."

Warren nodded slightly.

Logan noticed his obvious distress.

"I know what ya heard, some of it is news ta ya, some of it ya never heard 'fore. But don't let what ya heard tonight effect any future decisions ya might make. I'd encourage ya to talk ta Jeannie 'bout any o' this before ya start basin' decisions off o' it." Logan warned.

Warren nodded. "Yeah…a lot of it, is quite a…it's quite a revelation. Here I thought you couldn't tell me a lot that I didn't already know, but I guess…I guess there are some things that Jean didn't feel comfortable telling me. Why wouldn't she tell me about her marriage, what was there to hide about it?" He asked still stumped at _that_ revealing bit of fact.

Logan couldn't tell him what he wanted to hear. "Like I said, talk ta yer _fiancée_…" He stressed the word. "I'm sure her reasons for keeping it from ya will all make sense in the end."

"Unless she kept it from me because she felt that it wasn't over. That her history with Scott ran too deep for it to _ever_ really be over. Maybe she was ashamed of it. Of the way she had backed out of it. Maybe." Warren ran through the reasons and scenarios in his head, trying to make sense of it.

Logan knew he could do that all night. He looked to the coffee table where the empty bottles lay. "Well looks like five's pretty much my limit fer the night." He said standing up.

Warren stood up as well, placing the half-full bottle on the table. "Nice talking to you." He said.

Logan's face broke out into a faint smile. He knew that the kid was now wishing he didn't know any of it. That's how confused he was. "Yeah, you too." He replied.

He turned to go.

"Logan—" Warren tried to say something to him but he couldn't figure out how to say it.

Logan sensed this and turned around to face him. "Sorry bub, I _can't_ help ya wit' this. _I'm_ not the one ya _should_ be talkin' ta." He knew Warren understood that.

Warren slid his hands in his pockets and nodded weakly.

Logan sighed and muttered a faint 'good,' that the boy got it.

Warren watched him leave and sighed as he wondered what to do next.

* * *

An hour later, Jean sauntered into her bedroom pushing the hair out of her face.

Warren heard her footsteps and walked in from the balcony, where he had been thinking for over an hour.

"Hey." He said softly in greeting.

She sighed. "Oh, Hi." She sounded almost relieved.

"You okay?" He asked nodding towards her worn figure.

"Yeah, I just… had a rough day." She let her body fall unto his and he hesitated before he embraced her in a hug.

"It's okay Jean." At that moment those words seemed so sourly out of place.

She looked up and he struggled to meet her eyes. "Yeah now it is." She replied. It must have been what she needed to hear from him.

He smiled faintly and kissed her on the forehead.

She parted from his arms. "I'm gonna go change for bed."

He nodded as she departed into the bathroom.

He scratched the back of his neck his and ran a hand through his blonde hair with a heavy sigh as he fell on the bed.

His mind was lost elsewhere. He had seriously been considering all that Logan had told him. He realized that he came up with a lot of questions. Questions that he _couldn't_ answer, and for a moment, questions that _frightened _him.

"Warren?" He looked up at the sound of Jean's voice, dismissing away his thoughts.

She walked towards the bed, as she said in explanation, "You're mind was wondering."

He watched as she climbed into bed. "Did you—" He started to ask.

She shook her head. "-You know I wouldn't do that. I don't have to be a telepath to see that you were obviously lost in thought."

She snuggled up against him her back against his chest. "Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

He hesitated before answering, "Not really."

"Mmm…okay than." She shut her eyes and rested.

Warren shifted uncomfortably. "So did you have a nice time out in the garden?"

She opened her eyes. "I don't really wanna talk about it."

After everything he had heard tonight, he couldn't help but feel that she was keeping something from him.

"Was it that bad?" Was all he asked.

"It just brought out a lot of my demons."

"Did it help you any?"

"I think so." She replied softly.

Warren hesitated. "Jean are you-are you happy?"

She turned around to face him. "What?"

"Are you-Are you happy with me? With our engagement?"

"Why would you ask that?"

"I dunno, its just-I was talking to Logan and-"

She chuckled slightly. "You were talking to Logan? _Our _Logan? What did he tell you?"

"Nothing. He just-he was talking to me about your relationship with Scott before you met me. He told me you two married. Jean…why didn't you tell me that? Why didn't you let me know?" He asked obviously confused that she would keep it from him.

She hadn't expected that and tensed up. She shrugged, "I don't know."

He shook his head, not accepting that answer from her as he got up from the bed. "Jean _why_ didn't you _tell_ me?" He asked again more forcefully. "Why did you _keep_ it from me?"

She sighed. "I don't know, Warren, okay? I guess I thought it wasn't important."

"What, that you had been married _before?_ Yeah, the hell that _is_ important. I would've liked to _know_ that little tid-bit about you. I had no _idea_ that marrying me wasn't your _first_ marriage. You didn't even let on that you had been married before…and to _Scott_."

"What does Scott have to do with anything?" She asked him vigorously, standing up as well.

"Don't you see Jean? Scott has _everything_ to do with _this_!" He shot back.

"Why are you worrying about this? It's all in the past." She tried to brush it off.

"I _am_ worried. I'm worried about this because you _didn't _tell me. You _didn't _let me know. And I can't help but feel that you purposely _kept_ it from me. I mean what am I supposed to believe? I'm led to think what else you've been keeping from me."

"_Nothing_, Warren." She answered. "I'm sorry about not telling you about my marriage to Scott. I'm sorry, you're right; I should've told you. I'm sorry." She apologized.

"Jean, Logan…he told me so many things and I don't know… I just…I have this feeling—" Warren's voice drifted off as he tried to find the words to say.

"Well don't. Don't feel _anything_ about it. What happened between Scott and I in the past, _stays_ in the past. Besides, I love _you_." She said quietly reassuring him.

"But—" He tried to protest.

"Stop. I don't want you worrying about Scott anymore." She whispered to him before kissing him.

"Know that _I_ _love_ _you_ Warren." She said once more.

"Yeah?" He smiled.

She smiled back. "Yeah."

They embraced in a kiss once more, but even Jean couldn't help but feel the conviction in her words wasn't there, and Warren noticed it.

* * *

**Okay, well, we know what happened to Scott and Jean and what made her leave. **

**They lost thier baby and it was too tragic for them to handle together. Logan pretty much told that drawn out story of Scott and Jean's humble b****eginnings** **and bitter ends. Also, I've dropped _teeny _hints in this story about the fact that Logan _may _have had a family, or suffered through the loss of a child...and you can keep guessing on that one for now, because it's _not_ in this story. But it _is_ however, gonna be a main focus in Logan's storyline in the Romance fic I'm currently writing and that's currently stalled. So you can keep your eyes peeled for that one.**

**However, back to _this_ story,****at the time of the loss, they _were_ married, and _that's_ what I'm going to try to deal with in these later chapters. **

**That is also a change that I've made in my revision of this story. In the original posting they were never married when it happend, but only engaged, and I thought that I should cement that relationship firmer and make it so that they share so much more than before. **

**So I'm gonna deal with the relationship aspect, or at least, focus on it more than I have. What happened to thier marriage and to them as a couple, and what want wrong and why she left. So pretty much, I'm gonna deal with the aftermath of the loss a little bit and also the fact that they were both so _young_ when it happened, being only nineteen, but mostly the relationship between them and if they can overcome it.**

**So, Hope You're Enjoying So Far!**


	8. Chapter Eight

**A TWIST OF FATE**

**Chapter Eight**

"Like this is so cool! Having a pool party on the last day of vacation is like, such a good idea!" Kitty exclaimed walking unto the pavement of the pool area.

"Ja, I for vone zink it's a great idea!"

"Speak fer yoreself I'm goin' crazy havin' ta be all covered up." Rogue complained stretching out her sleeves.

"Dun worry chere Remy t'inks it makes you look sexy."

Rogue glared at him. "Of course you do. I'm gonna hit the hot tub."

"Remy will go wit' you petite."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Aw, just look at those two, it seems they have like gotten over their differences." Kitty pointed out to Kurt.

"Ja and just in time too."

"Like speaking of which, where's Jean and Warren?"

Kurt shrugged. "I zaw Varren in ze kitchen before ve vent out, but I haven't zeen Jean all morning."

Kitty nodded. "Yeah, like that reminds me, I haven't seen Scott in like, a while either. Do you think maybe something's going on?"

"No. I zink maybe Scott's just having a hard time burying all his feelings. I mean after all ve know he hasn't gotten over Jean. And now for her to appear out of ze blue vith a fiancée, zat probably doesn't exactly make a guy feel good."

"Gee, I mean like Scott and Jean fall in love, they expect baby, Jean gets kidnapped, Scott tries to save her, he has to choose between his true love and their baby, he chooses his true love, she gets mad, she leaves, she comes back engaged, he still loves her, and now he has to contend with her husband to be. Like if you put it that way, it makes me feel like I'm caught in the middle of like a soap opera."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Vomen, zay alvays zink zat vay. Look it might seem like a very stirring dilemma, but it probably vouldn't be so cool if it vas _your _dilemma."

Kitty sighed, "Yeah like you're right. But still it's a very complicated love triangle."

"And do you know vhat vould make it even more complicating?" He asked.

Kitty shook her head.

"Your interference. Vhy don't ve stay out of zis vone zis time, Ja?"

Kitty pursed her lips. "I like, had no intention of getting involved."

"Keety you _alvays_ get involved."

"Well not on purpose!"

"Vhatever, I'm just asking you as a friend to stay out of it."

"Like you have my word." Kitty held up her right hand. "Scouts honor."

"First off, you're not a scout, and Second, since vhen do you zink I vill take your vord for it?"

Kitty shrugged. "I guess you'll just have to like trust me."

"I guess I vill. But maybe you can promise me?"

"Fine I promise. But like the last thing I wanna do is to get involved in Jean's business. I mean her life is such a complicated tangled web, I don't even want to like, touch it."

"Zere zats more like it. Now vhat do you say ve put zese drinks down and jump in za pool?"

"Okay, like in a sec, I'm waiting for Jean to come out."

Kurt glared at her.

"What?"

"Keety vhat did ve just get done talking about?"

Kitty set down her pink lemonade. "Fine. Let's go."

* * *

"Scott _please_, I _don't _want to _talk_ about it." Jean stressed, her voice tense. 

Scott followed her as she walked out the doors to the back patio.

"Why _not_?"

"Because it _doesn't_ _matter_."

"It doesn't matter?" He repeated surprised at her response.

"No, I didn't mean it that way." She stopped walking and turned to him. "This is just not the right time for this conversation."

"It's not the right time? _When _will it be the right time?"

Jean crossed her arms and looked at him sternly.

"Look, I don't think it's important for Warren to know. What happened that night…it was the first time we had seen each other in years, we just got caught up in all we were feeling and we got ahead of ourselves."

"Oh so now you're making excuses for it?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No I'm not. Everything just got away from us. We lost control for _only_ a moment. That's _it_." She tried to convince him.

"Is _that_ what you think _happened_?"

"That _is_ all that happened!"

"Is that what you're telling yourself now?"

"Scott…look we were in the wrong place at the wrong time, it's _that _simple."

"_No_ it's _not_ that _simple_!" His voice grew louder.

"Scott please! Keep your voice down." She asked him through clenched teeth.

Scott exhaled deeply and set his jaw. "Look, there were obviously a connection of mutual feelings between us."

"I don't see it that way."

"I know you don't! That's _what_ I'm trying to _tell_ you. If I recall correctly, you believed it to 'feel so right.'" He quoted her.

"Isn't that what you said? That you couldn't understand how we ever let it go. Are you saying now that you _never_ _said that_?" He asked.

"Yes—I did. In the heat of the moment. Scott…please…just-Don't tell Warren." She pleaded with him.

"Why? You think it'll break up your relationship?"

"No Warren can't know about us. He was already upset with me when he found out that I had never told him we had been married when our baby died."

Scott frowned. "You never told him _that_? Why?" He asked just as stumped as Warren had been upon hearing it.

She shrugged. "I don't know, okay? I don't know why I didn't tell him about us. Look, I know that you'd like nothing more than to see Warren and I go our separate ways, but I _love him_ Scott, that's _not_ what _I_ want. So please, just don't tell him… okay?"

Scott clenched his teeth and tensed under hearing her say that she loved Warren. "Fine I won't." He relented.

"…Under one condition."

She rolled her head annoyed. "What is it?"

"That you break up your engagement to him." He answered honestly.

"_What?_ No!" She disagreed.

"Why not? It's easy for you. You're used to walking away from things."

"I don't want to hurt him." She answered ignoring his last comment.

Scott smirked at the irony of it all. "Oh, so _now_ you're considering his feelings."

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened between us, but _you_ had a big part in that too. It _wasn't _just me."

"C'mon Jean, don't say a part of you doesn't want to go back to the way it was." He pleaded with her.

"No I _don't_." She firmly stood her ground.

He sighed frustrated. He finally conceded. "Alright. I won't tell him. But I still think he deserves to know."

"Well I disagree."

"Jean look, if you felt the need to keep our past marriage from him, and if you don't trust him enough to handle the news and to forgive you, than you _shouldn't_ be marrying him."

"And that would serve your purposes, wouldn't it?" She asked irritably.

"_My_ purposes?" He repeated. "You know what? I'm not going to tell you what you should or should not tell your fiancée that's _your _business."

For once she agreed with him. "You're right it is. I don't want to talk about this anymore." She dismissed.

"No I'm not done. There's still so much to talk about." He wasn't swayed to drop it.

"Scott, for once can we _please_ just _leave_ the past in the past? Just for _once_."

He paused thinking, than slowly nodded his head. "Fine. Whatever you want."

She was relieved he gave in. "Good. Look, Warren should be coming any minute now, it would probably be best if you left."

"I'm not done talking Jean." He warned her as he walked away.

Jean had just enough time to sigh and turn back to the patio, before Warren brushed up against her.

"Hey." He said wrapping his arms around her and kissing her on the cheek.

She turned around and kissed him softly on the lips.

Warren smiled as they parted. "What was that for?"

"I just missed you."

"I was only gone for a minute."

"I know." She rested her head against his chest.

"So what do you say we go out there and have a good time?" He suggested.

"I like that idea." She held his hand walking out. He stopped her.

"Hey before we do, is there something I should know about?"

She shook her head. "No…why?"

"It's nothing. I just saw you talking with Scott, it seemed pretty intense."

Jean shrugged it off. "Oh you know Scott, he's just having a hard time dealing with everything."

"Is that all it was about?" He questioned.

She held his hands in hers. "Warren, I _promise_ you, that's _all_ it was about." She convinced him.

It took him a moment, but he believed her.

"Well will he be okay?" He tried to sound like he cared about Scott's well being, but he didn't.

She nodded. "Eventually. But I don't know."

"Yeah, he really loved you, didn't he. He still does." Warren stated the obvious.

"I can't help what he feels. Believe me if I could I'd make him feel peace about the whole thing, I would." She replied.

"Yeah, well I hate to have that feeling that I'm taking something from him."

"Don't think that way Warren. I left him years ago and I don't belong to anyone…let alone Scott."

"But you _did_. You did belong to him once, when you were married."

She shook her head, dismissing that away. "I'm sorry for not telling you about that. But we're not married anymore, that doesn't matter now."

"I know, I know." He said nodding his head. "But he had so many intense feelings for you, he was always there."

"No, No, not always." She glanced down to the ground remembering that period in her life.

"I'm sorry Jean I didn't mean to--" Warren tried to apologize realizing his mistake.

"It's okay, let's just forget about Scott for a while, huh? Let's just focus on _us_."

She hugged him. "You know we don't have to go to the pool party." She suggested.

Warren chuckled. "As much as I'd like that, I think we should."

Jean kissed him on the cheek. "Well maybe later than."

"Yeah… later." He replied doubtful.

* * *

"Hey Kurt like did you _see_ that?" Kitty asked resting her elbows against the rim of the pavement keeping herself up. 

"Kurt!" She protested patting him underwater so he'd come up.

"_Vhat_?" Kurt asked annoyed, popping his head up.

She stared at him in disbelief. A pair of green scuba glasses that covered his eyes and nose, muffled his voice.

"Like, Do you know how ridiculous that get-up looks on you?"

"Did you _vant_ something Keety?" Kurt slanted his eyes irritably disregarding her remark.

"Well I just saw Scott and Jean talking in the corner by the sliding glass doors. They talked for a couple of minutes, than _he_ stormed out right before Warren came in."

"Ja, _So_?" Kurt couldn't see the relevance in that.

"So… it looked pretty heated. I think maybe something's up." She assumed.

"Keety, you alvays zink somezing's up." He couldn't understand why this time was any different.

"Yeah I know, but they were _arguing_, Kurt."

He shrugged and snorted. "So vhat else is new? Zey don't talk anymore remember? Zey alvays end up fighting."

"Yeah but it sure looked to me like Scott wanted something from Jean."

"Vhat did he vant? And vow do you know any of zis anyvay?" He asked suspiciously.

She shrugged innocently. "I dunno."

He frowned. "You didn't phase over zere did you?"

Kitty posed her face in mock innocence. "Like, no…"

"Kitty!" He exclaimed knowing full well that she had.

"Well I didn't really _mean_ to eavesdrop!" She defended herself. "I just, like, got out of the pool for a sec to get my lemonade! And like, I couldn't help but overhear a few things."

"I zought ve had an agreement zat you veren't gonna get involved." He reminded her.

"I'm not! "But think about it Kurt…let's look at the possibilities of what could cause this new argument…" She continued.

"Think about it," She encouraged him. "Like, picture this, Jean comes back to the institute, sees Scott for the first time, old feelings overcome their words and their emotions get the better of them."

"Vhat?" He asked completely confused.

Kitty lowered her voice.

"I think that, like, _maybe_ one night… Scott and Jean might've, _accidentally_ overstepped some boundaries."

He shook his head. "I'm not following you Keety."

She looked around before whispering to him,

"You know, like, _crossed the line_?"

Kurt shook his head not understanding. "I don't ze vhy zey vould do anyzing like zat."

"Yeah, but like, think about it though. Like you said, they're always arguing. So think about this, they meet up with each other, they're arguing, suddenly they feel a connection between them, old sensations overcome them, then they kiss, one thing leads to another and-"

"-Keety I don't like vhat you're implying." Kurt said, catching on.

Kitty sighed. "Okay, like, what _do you_ think than?"

"Vhat I _zink_ is zet zat vas such a vivid play on vords that now I _know_ you vatch _too many_ soap operasBesides if any of zis vere true, it's nein of our business to get involved in it."

"Okay, but wait a minute. It would make sense though, wouldn't it? If it happened? They could have been arguing because Warren wouldn't know about it."

"Vhoa, Vhoa, Vhoa! I zink vherever you're going vith zis zet maybe you should step back. Zis is all speculation. You don't have any proof to back zis up vith."

"But it makes sense. And it would complicate things a little more."

"Vhy are you so interested in Jean's life! Vhether your assumption is true or not, vhich I think it _isn't,_

You have no business getting involved in it."

"Well if something, like, _did_ happen, don't you think it should be Warren's right to know about it?"

He shook his head. "Nein I don't. And even if I did, I don't zink it vould be _your _place to _tell_ him. Ze best ve can do is _stay out_ of it. Zis is _none_ of our business. Zis is Jean's life, zis is _her_ decision, let her sort it out."

She crossed her arms. "You don't even want to help her if we could? Like, she seems so confused."

"Sure. I vould help if I could but ve _can't_. Ze only vay I could help Jean is to _keep_ my mouth _shut_ and not go _snooping_ avound her personal life." Kurt talked about it being himself, but Kitty knew he was talking about her.

"Keety," he continued. "Vhat you know and vhat you _zink _you overheard could all be about notzing. I zink ze best you can do to help, is to stay out of it. Za last zing Jean needs is more complication in her life. I'll zay it again, _stay out of it_." He stressed the importance of his words.

Kitty sighed agreeing with him. "Fine, like, this will be the last time you'll hear about it."

"Good." Kurt flashed his fangs in a smile before disappearing underwater again.

She sighed and frowned still trying to put all the pieces together. She glanced towards the shallow end of the pool where Jean and Warren were frolicking happily.

Kurt was right, she should stay out of it. But that still didn't keep her from wondering about it.

* * *

"Well we only have a few more days until our vacation's over." Warren said snuggling up closer to Jean on the patio chair.

"Yeah, well I'll take as much as I can get." She answered.

"Hey you know, I heard that Scott's brother Alex has invited the group to spend a couple days, the rest of our vacation, down in Hawaii with him. I guess he has some sort of surfing championship or something he wants Scott to be there for, and he invited the rest of the mansion."

"Are you suggesting that we spend the rest of our vacation in Sunny Hawaii?" She glanced up at him.

"It couldn't hurt. I hear that Kurt, Kitty, Remy and Rogue are going."

"And Scott." She added.

"Well of course."

She turned around to face him. "I don't think I want to go. I hope you don't mind, but I was thinking maybe we could go home early?"

"Any particular reason?" He asked raising his eyebrows.

"Well it's just-I think I've done all I can here, and I just want to spend the rest of vacation alone with you."

"Well we could spend it alone in Hawaii too. It's a big island. We could have seclusion, our privacy."

She shrugged. "I know but-"

"-Jean does this have something to do with Scott going?"

She sighed. "I don't know. I just…"

"…I don't want you to _avoid_ him, Jean. That's not the way to fix anything."

"I'm not _avoiding_ him." She tried to explain.

"Than _what_ are you _doing?_" He asked. "Jean, you can't keep walking away from your problems, from your past. Sooner or later you're going to have to stop running away when things get tough."

"I know, I agree with you." She said.

"Okay, well do you still want to spend the rest of vacation in the city?" He asked.

She nodded. "_Yes_, I do. It's what I want."

He shrugged. "Okay. If it's what you want, we can leave tonight. They're all taking a plane to Hawaii, we can leave when they do."

"Mmm…that would be so nice." She said snuggling into his chest.

Warren wasn't so sure that her reasoning for leaving was to spend some quality time with him. She had an ulterior motive he knew that. He just had to get _her_ to see it.

* * *

"See look at them Kitty. They look happy to me." 

"Well of course they like do, Rogue. But I'm telling you I think something's going on."

"Well Remy would have ta side wit' Nightcrawler on dis one, He thinks it'd be best if Shadowcat stay out o' dis."

The four young adults stood around the patio and dried off from their swim as their eyes followed Jean and Warren, Kitty having told the other two about her suspicions.

"Unfortunately, Ah think Remy's right." Rogue commented. "Ya should stay out of it. Jean's business is Jean's business. It's none of ours. 'Sides we're leavin' ta go to Hawaii tonight and unless ya want ta stay behind, ya really can't do anything anyway." Rogue reminded her.

Kitty sighed as she watched Jean rest her head against Warren's chest. "Like, I know. You're right."

"We all care 'bout dem Kitty. We all saw what happened, what Slim and Redd had da go through, but that don't make it our business da step in." Remy said.

"Yeah, if you knew what was good for yah, you'd stay out of it, Kat." Rogue warned her as she left the patio with Remy following close behind.

"Zey're vight." Kurt said after the two had left. "Zey agree vith me."

She nodded. "Like, I know they do. All of you are right, like I know that. I just can't believe we're going to Hawaii and with all our luck we're going to be rained out." She sighed disappointed.

"Vell don't zink about zat. Zink about all ze fun ve'll have vonce ve get there." He offered, trying to cheer her up.

"C'mon Keety, let's leave Jean to her plans. Ve got two hours until ve leave and packing to do in ze meantime."

Kurt held Kitty around her shoulders as he teleported them out.

* * *

**Okay well, this new QuickEdit way to previw and fix chapters on stories, is really confusing to me and it only reads so many scripts and characters in the draft until I just have to improvise. **

**Anyway, I'm just a _very_ particular person, I'm my toughest critic, always challenging myself, and everything just has to be _neat_ and _perfect_. But that's just how I am.**

**Well okay, so, 4 chapters left, More Scott and Jean coming up as well as Ororo/Jean later on with alot of talk and soul-searching mixed in.**

**So keep on reading!**


	9. Chapter Nine

**A TWIST OF FATE**

**Chapter Nine**

Jean was packing her belongings into a suitcase on the bed, when Warren walked in.

"Well I just talked to my captain, he should be bringing the plane in at JFK Airport within the hour and I'll have the limo driver come pick us up."

"That sounds good." She replied.

"Yeah." He agreed. He sat on the bed.

"Jean…" He started.

She looked to him as she finished folding a shirt. "Yeah."

"Look about what I said earlier, that I believe you should stop running away from your life when things get tough,"

She nodded as she remembered.

"Well if you're intent on leaving tonight, as I know you are, I really think you need to straighten things out with Scott."

She shrugged. "Warren I told you, there's nothing between us to straighten out."

He shook his head. "No, I don't believe that. And I _know_ you don't believe that."

"Well, You know, I think things have been as straightened out as they're gonna get between us."

"Maybe. But you need to try. I really don't think it's a good idea to leave things this way. To leave so much unsaid and unresolved. You really _need_ to talk to him."

She dropped the shirt into the suitcase and stopped what she was doing. "Why are you pushing this? Why are you pressuring me to talk to him?"

"Because I _care_ about you. And I can clearly see that _whatever_ you have with Scott, _whatever's_ between you two, I can see that it's _hurting_ you, it's _tearing you up_ inside. I know you try to hide it, try to put up this wall, this façade of strength. But you _can't_ keep it up. You can't _stay_ strong forever. And I _really_ just went you to have to not _fight _it anymore."

She sighed. He was right. She knew he was.

"I'm that transparent, huh?" She asked feebly.

He nodded. "Yes."

She shrugged. "Okay, if you want me to, Warren."

"I want you to." He answered immeadiately.

"Alright, I will. I'll do it, I'll talk to him."

"Good." He stood up and held her by the shoulders. "I want you to be happy, Jean. Truly and utterly _happy_. I want you to be _free_ of your past, you _aren't_ yet. Work it out with him, okay? For me." He said.

She nodded. "Yeah. _Only_ for you, Warren."

* * *

"Hey Kitty you haven't seen Scott anywhere have you?" Jean asked walking into the living room where Kitty was sitting on the couch typing on her laptop.

She looked up from the monitor. "Like it's so weird. Everytime somebody wants Scott they can never find him." She recalled.

Jean sighed. "Yeah I know. I really think he's avoiding me, actually."

Kitty shrugged. "Well I haven't seen him recently, like, he skipped the whole pool party, but you could check upstairs. He might be there."

"Okay, thanks. I was just in the kitchen looking for him. Remy and Warren are talking now and Remy hadn't seen him, either."

"You know like, come to think of it," Kitty recalled. "I think he was looking for you earlier."

"He was?"

She nodded. "Yeah, shortly after we came in from the pool. I think he was." She offered.

"Well I'll check upstairs then. Thanks." She said leaving the room.

Kitty watched her go and sighed as she turned back to the computer screen,

_Like I was saying… Today I overheard Scott and Jean arguing in the pool house and now they're looking for each other. Hmmm I wonder what that's all about…_

* * *

Kitty had told Jean that Scott was looking for her. In that case, if he couldn't find her, there was only once place he'd be.

She walked to her old bedroom knowing Scott would be there waiting for her.

"Don't you have a plane to catch?" She asked leaning on her door pane.

He turned around hearing her approach.

"Yeah it sets off in a while. But it's getting bad out there." He said looking to the balcony where the clouds had turned a darkish black-gray and light sprinkles of rain began to pour down as thundered rumbled.

"It's more than possible it could be delayed. Do you want something?" He asked.

"No. Kitty told me you were looking for me. I knew this is where you'd be."

"Of course you did." He answered.

She folded her arms and walked into the room. "I came to talk to you."

"About something specific?" He asked.

"I wouldn't disturb you for no reason."

"You're not disturbing me. I also you didn't come here on your own accord. Warren put you up to this?" he asked.

She ignored his question. "Since I'm not disturbing you, I'll get right to the point. I want to tell you this before you left for Hawaii, and I just want to make sure we're clear."

"Clear on what?"

"On where we stand." She answered coolly.

"Where do we stand?" He questioned.

"Scott… whatever _happened_ between us…whatever _is_ happening between us _now_…it has to stop."

He looked at her slightly surprised. "What?"

"_This_…_whatever_ it is… _can't_ happen." She stressed further.

"What _is_ it? What can't happen?" He asked for clarification.

"_Us_." She answered. "_We_ can't happen."

He was about to protest so Jean quickly continued, "I know it sounds crazy, after all that has happened, after _what_ happened the other night…" She trailed off.

"Jean…what _happened_ the other night was wonderful. In that moment, we reaffirmed our love for each other. I love you, Jean. I love you with _everything_ I _have_. I _want_ you, I want you _very_ much."

His remark struck a chord within her. "How much are you _willing_ to _lose_ to _have_ me?" She snapped irritably.

He didn't seem to notice her irritated mood as he hesitated, but only for a moment. "…_Anything_."

"No matter what the _cost_!" She asked him, her irritation turning into anger.

"_Whoa_…Jean where is this _coming_ from?" Scott asked, _now_ noticing her mood.

"This isn't you!" He continued. "_Why_ are you _questioning_ my _feelings_ for you! What happened to make you feel this way?"

She held her gaze on him for a moment than turned away as she crossed the room.

"This _is_ me Scott…It's me _now_! It's just how I feel. I can't explain it… I don't know…I just feel different now. I mean I've had time to think of what _was_…and than all that happened…I mean after Rachel died…"

Her voice faded and she walked away, distancing herself from him even more. She shook her head in frustration and looked at the floor.

"It just…it seems to me like you-you seem to have your own set of rules for the way the world operates, don't you?"

He frowned. "Jean…What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

She turned around to face him and explain. "_I_ am _engaged_ to a man who is wonderful to me. Why is it you think that I _wouldn't_ choose to _stay_ with him?"

He stepped closer and looked into her eyes. "It's not that. But I know _damn_ well that you _don't_ love him, that you _love_ _me_."

She shook her head. "No! Scott…it's-it just- It has _nothing_ to do with my feelings for you _at all_!" She turned away her eyes threatening to fill with tears.

"Than what _is_ it _about_?" He shouted.

When she didn't answer Scott gently took her by the shoulders and turned her around to face him. He noticed her tears.

"Jean, looks at this. You're crying, obviously I'm right about something I'm saying."

She pulled away from him as she walked closer to the bed. Tears fell down Jean's cheek as she shakes her head.

"Scott, you want to make everything so simple. You _believe_ it's so simple. 'You don't love him, you love me.' But it's just _not_ _that_ simple."

"Why _isn't_ it _that_ simple?" He asked forcefully.

"Because _life_ isn't_ that_ simple!" Her voice became fainter as she struggled with her tears.

"Life is _very_ complicated sometimes."

"Well then don't let it be!" He suggested to her.

She broke away in frustration, and tried to stop crying. "Scott!…It's just not like that…"

She struggled with her composure and rested her hands against her dresser to maintain her strength.

"Like _what_ Jean! _What _is _so_ complicated about _this_? Don't you understand? I didn't realized what I had until you were gone…and by than it was _too late_. I want you Jean. I would've given anything to tell you than what I'm telling you now. I know it's late…I know I should have said these things to you earlier when you needed to hear it most, but I'm _saying_ them _now_. So Jean, _please_, I need you…_now_ more than _ever_. Why _can't_ you _understand_ that?"

He stood behind her and pleaded with her to understand him, and yelled at her in frustration because she couldn't.

She shook her head as she tried desperately to find something to say to him, something that could make him understand how she was feeling.

She stared at her reflection in a glass crystalline bowl laying on her dresser as she answered quietly,

"Warren loves me."

"_I_ love you too." He reminded her, his voice tense and forceful, with a hint of yearning.

She closed her eyes and held her head up as she twirled the bowl in her hands and shook her head, "Please don't tell me that."

He approached her from behind. "Why _shouldn't_ I _tell _you _that_? Jean, you know it's _true_, as you _love_ me."

A tear fell down Jean's cheek as she tried to convince both Scott and herself, "That is _over_, _all _of that is _over_."

Scott whispers, "You _damn_ well know that whatever exists between the two of us will _never_ be over. _Never_ be over. Why the _hell_ do you _fight_ _that_?"

She sighed heavily and no longer able to contain her emotions, in a moment of anger, frustration and simply pure exhaustion, Jean slammed the crystal bowl that she had been holding, down unto the dresser, glass pieces swirling everywhere to the floor.

"Oh, _damn it_ Scott! You _want_ to _know_ the truth? _Fine_. I _can't_ do _this_ _anymore_! I _can't_ keep going around in circles with you! It's time to move on! How much _clearer _to I have to _make it_? I've _divorced_ you, _moved_ _away_ from you, I'm _marrying_ Warren…so tell me Scott… "

Tears still streaming down her face, Jean asked him doubtfully, "Do you still _want_ me _now_?"

There was a long pause between them as Scott walked away surprised and shocked at her outburst,

"Well? You still haven't answered me." She said coolly.

He whipped around to face her. "Jean, I don't understand what you're asking me!"

"I think the question was pretty clear." She replied.

He shook his head. "No it wasn't! Not to me."

"Look Scott…I don't know what exactly it is I have to tell you before you understand that we can't keep doing this."

He sighed and answered, "Of course I still want you! I want you very much."

"And you always get what you want…is that it?"

"No! That's not it at _all_! Look you're making your feelings noticeably clear but it still doesn't change the way I feel about you! _Nothing_ ever will!"

"Scott! You're not getting it! Things can't _ever_ be the way they were! It's just all too complicated!"

Her voice faded as she continued. "No matter what our feelings are."

Scott shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, wondering;

"What is wrong with wanting to be with the woman I love?"

He continues his voice choking; "A woman who loves me?"

He turned her around and whispers as his eyes searched her face;

"Look at me. I _know_ you love me! I can _sense_ it, I can _feel_ it, I _know_ it."

Jean looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Scott, I will always, _always_, love you. I'm not even going to try to deny that anymore…."

She pushed closer to Scott and met his lips with hers in a short soft kiss.

She pulled away from him and shook her head trying to explain.

"…But Scott, if you had any idea how much I soul-searched, how much I tried to deny everything but my feelings for you… and I just couldn't do it."

Tears fall down her face as she continues, "Life is not always neat and simple, it gets very complicated."

"It doesn't have to be complicated, not with you and me. Things can be very simple for us, so very simple for us." Scott whispered his voice pleading.

Jean turned away. "You know all Warren ever asked of me… was my love…"

Scott looks up and interrupts her. "That's a hell of a lot you know. Especially when you don't love him."

"But I do! Maybe I don't love him like I love you, but I _do_ love him. I mean you didn't live through what he did with me."

Scott sadly looked away and said in a quiet but urgent voice. "Jean I know how you feel about me! What about all those feelings? You can't just turn your back on them!"

"I have too! I can and I will. I have no choice Scott. My life is no longer with you…no matter how much I love you. I _have_ to love Warren now."

"Yeah but-I don't understand why you feel you must love him! Why you feel an _obligation_ to him! I don't understand! Why can't you stop running away _from_ me!"

"I'm not running away from anything!"

"Than what would you say you're doing?"

Jean ran a hand across her face and shook her head in exasperation. "I don't know…But Scott…do you even care how I feel? What I want?"

"Of course I care how you feel! But how do you expect to know what you want?"

"Exactly! You _don'_t know what I want!"

"So tell me!"

"You wouldn't understand!"

"Of course I would! But Jean you can't tell me that a part of you doesn't want this."

"You're right a part of me does. But I'm not that person anymore!"

"No…see you are! That's why you're here!"

"You're wrong Scott! I came here to talk to you…I felt bad the way we left things…I mean I know I'm the one who left in the end…but I felt we needed closure."

"I don't even know what the hell happened that night!"

"Scott… I don't really want to get into it."

"Well I do…to get closure…right?"

"Alright, look. I didn't come here just to rehash all of this… I think I better go." Jean turned around to leave.

Scott rolled his head to the side. "Jean…wait! I just want to talk."

Jean spun around obviously upset. "Talk or argue?"

"I just-I want to know…I need closure too."

"You know what I want? I want to marry Warren…I want a life with him. _That's_ what I want."

"Look I understand your feelings I do…and I won't stand in the way of your happiness…

"So _back off_ Scott!" She shouted.

"All I'm saying is that I want to know what want wrong. I _need_ to know what want wrong."

"I don't know, Scott. From the very beginning so many things were wrong. Maybe they were right, I _believe _them now. We _were_ too young to get married, too young to have a child. Maybe it was too _soon_ for everything and now it's too _late_."

"So you're telling me that you believe it was meant to be _this_ way?" He asked.

"Yes. It was doomed from the start. We were blind, too much in love to see anything but what we wanted to see. We didn't heed the warnings, we didn't listen."

"We were _in love_, Jean. We were _happy_. It didn't matter what everyone else thought."

"It does now though, when I realize that they were all right and we were wrong."

"Jean, love like ours… It _happens_. Kids getting married young _happens_. It's not all written in stone. Not all young marriages are doomed from the start, they don't all end in disaster. They survive because their _love_ survives. Our love _has _survived. You can't tell me that's not enough for us."

"I'm telling you, that's _not_ _enough_." She answered harshly.

"Jean…_I love you_. I wanted you in my life. But you wouldn't have it!" He shouted frustrated.

"_I_ wouldn't have it? I wanted it more than _anything_!" She retorted, clenching her teeth.

"Than why did you _go_?" He asked sternly.

"I _told_ you why. _That_ day, when I left, I _tried _to talk to you. I _wanted_ you to come with me. I _begged_ you to come with me. And do you remember what you said?" She asked, her eyes glossing.

He shook his head and bit his lower lip, he remembered full well what he had said he waited as she answered for him.

"You said, 'Just go, Jean. There's nothing left for you here.'" She sniffed as tears rolled down her cheeks at the memory.

"_That's_ what you _said_ to me, I was _your wife!_ And _that's _what you _said_. So I did, I went. Yourwords _hurt_ me, Scott. I had _loved_ you, I wanted us to get away, to try to work it out, but in the end you weren't _man_ enough, you couldn't be there for me when I _needed_ you."

"I'm sorry, Jean. I know. I'm sorry."

"No. No, Scott, it's _too_ late for that. I know you're sorry, I _know_ you _are_. But it's no consolation to me anymore. These demons—_my_ demons, go beyond your apologies."

"I know I _vowed_ to take care of you. I know I did. And I didn't. I couldn't handle the burden, I couldn't face up to the choices I had made in my life, and for that, no matter how consoling it is to you, I'm _very_ sorry." He answered.

"Yes, you _did_. _For Better or For Worse,_ remember? That time was the _worst_ part, Scott. _Where _were _you_ _then_?"

He didn't answer, he couldn't answer. He didn't know what else to say.

She glared at him through her tears, in disbelief.

"I _loved_ you Scott. I had loved you for as long as I could remember. When we married, I promised to love you _forever_. I _promised_. But that love, it _isn't_ all-consuming anymore. You're such a big part of me that I truly believe I'd love you even if I didn't want too. You're _in my blood_, and I can't _change _that. I _loved you once_, Scott. I had truly and deeply _loved_ you."

"_Loved, Loved, Loved,_ you keep saying _that_! What does that _mean_?" Scott asked her intensely.

"What it means…It _means_ that I _had_ loved you. It means that I _did_, that I _had_, but that love no longer _defines _who _I am_."

"_Why_, Jean? Why did you file for divorce?" He asked the question that he had been wondering for years.

"Do you _even_ have to ask? I couldn't _compete _with your _demons_, Scott. I _couldn't _watch as the man I _loved _let his life slip away. I couldn't let myself be a part of that. You _signed_ the papers without a fight, you gave me no inclination that you wanted to _save _our_ marriage._ You _let_ me _go_, Scott…You gave up on yourself and _our marriage_, our life together. So _I gave up_ on _you_. You have _no one_ to blame but yourself for that."

"You don't think you're even a little at fault for it? You want to blame me for our daughter's death, than _fine_!_ B_ut as far as the dissolution of our _marriage_, _you_ have some blame in that too, it _wasn't _just me."

"Oh…no, no, no, don't you _dare_ imply that _I _had _something_ to do with that! I _didn't_ do that to us…_You_ did! You _ruined_ it for yourself! Scott, you _told_ me to go! You told me there was _nothing_ left for me! By saying that, what did you think I would feel? I felt that you were telling me that _you_ were no longer there for me. You gave me no choice! I did what I had to do! "

She was irritated that he was trying to blame her for their ruined marriage.

"_I_ gave you _no_ choice? You threw the damn ring at me!" He shouted back.

She nodded as she remembered and let her anger get the better of her. "Yeah in the middle of a heated argument. And you know something, I'd _do_ it again!"

Scott pulled back slightly, the impact of her words hitting him hard in the chest. She was angry he could tell, her eyes were blazing with fury. He knew that she had only said that in the heat of the moment, but it hurt, it really hurt him.

He tried to hide his feelings and remain strong, so she wouldn't sense that her remark had hurt him a great deal.

"Jean you don't really mean--"

"_Please_ stop! Stop it Scott!" She pleaded with him exhaustedly.

"I can't take this anymore! I'm _done _rehashing all of this! We _can't_ change it! It's all in our past! _It doesn't matter!_"

She waved her hands dismissing all that he had said as she tried to calm down.

"It _matters_ to _me_!" Scott shot back.

She sighed completely washed up. "Scott, I don't know what else to say to you. I don't think this conversation is going anywhere. I am so _tired…tired _of fighting with you…_tired_ of fighting the past. What more can I say to you to convince you that things won't _ever _work out between us?"

Scott exhaled deeply, slowly calming down.

"… Jean I don't believe that you believe that. Do you honestly think that you can really love him? Can you love him like you love me?"

Jean shook her head. "It's not about that! Of course I won't. I'll never be able to love someone else the way I _loved _you. We share too many things, too much history to _not_ have feelings for one another, it's normal, it's expected. I know you don't understand what I'm saying. But our relationship is strained beyond repair.

_Too much_ has been put between us, And I don't have the strength to keep fighting for it. I'm drained. And when I'm with Warren…I don't have to fight."

"So that's why nothing can happen? Because you don't want to fight to _save_ us?"

"I _can't_ Scott. I don't have it in me to keep _fighting_ for _something_ that's _already dead_!"

"So you're saying _this_ is _it_ than. It's _over?_"

"Yeah, Yeah Scott I _am_. I don't know if it will ever _truly_ be over…the feelings will _always_ be there. But yeah…I'm telling you… it's _over _between us. It's _over_"

Scott looked at her, heart broken.

Unable to meet his gaze, she lowered her eyes to floor and they settled on her blood stained hand. Things had become so heated that she hadn't even realized the gash running through her palm. She must've cut it when she smashed the glass. She curled her fist numbing the sting the gash caused.

Scott looked at her, then to the floor. There was an awkward silence between them, than finally Jean looked to Scott as he wrapped his arms around her without saying a word.

They clung to each other, as Jean could no longer suppress her emotions and her eyes brimmed harder with tears and she let herself cry.

Scott ended their embrace by pushing away from her. He took a deep breath trying to fight away the lump in his throat as he tried to find the words to speak.

"You know I used to soul-search over and over again. I used to try to figure out what the hell was going on, with you and I…what went wrong, what had changed between us. When you came back, I believed that maybe nothing had. But I guess _something_ did. We clicked so well…but we aren't the same people we were, anymore. We aren't the madly in love teenagers that married against better judgment. We're _not those _people anymore and that's why this has to happen, I realize that now. But at least-at least I can remember everything we shared together. Jean, I just want you to know, whether it matters or not, I had the _greatest time_ _of my life_ _with you_."

Jean bit her lip trying to remain as strong as she could. She didn't know what to say, she couldn't say anything to him. So she said the only thing she could; "You should go. You don't want to miss your plane."

His head dropped slightly and for a moment he seemed disappointed that that's all she could say after he shared that revelation with her.

Scott nods before turning to leave. "Yeah…I wouldn't want to miss that."

"Scott--"

She stopped him from walking and he looked back, his gaze shifted on her for a moment.

He mouth formed to say something, _anything_, but she couldn't manage it, instead her eyes searched his face hopefully.

When he realized her prolonged silence, without saying a word, Scott turned his head and walked out of the room.

* * *

**It's Over? Is that it? Oooo...I dunno...You'll have to keep reading...:-)**

**Sorry I just had to have a big fight between the two. I mean they both have very strong personality and feelings I just had to do it. Plus I also used it as a way to finally fill you in on all that happened over the past two years. **

**Oh and I sure hope I made Jean's reasons for calling it quits between her and Scott clear enough. If I didn't I'm sorry, this chap was totally intended to finally fill the rest of the gap in Jean's past, and help you understand why Jean doesn't want anything to do with Scott anymore. I sure hope it did just that. I can understand it well enough, but that'scause _I_ did _write _it! **

**3 more chaps to go till completion! Please string along** **for me!**


	10. Chapter Ten

**A TWIST OF FATE**

**Chapter Ten**

**_If you're not the one then why does my soul feel glad today? _**

Scott walked out of the room and leaned his back against the wall as he took a moment to calm down and collect his thoughts.

**_If you're not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way?_**

_Why was Jean doing this? He only wanted her to be happy. But he knew she wasn't truly happy with Warren. She was happy with him. How could he forget that? How could he forget the day when he proposed to her and she had told him those exact words. He couldn't forget that._

**_If you are not mine then why does your heart return my call_**

_She had told him what she wanted, she had made her intentions very clear. She made it clear that it wasn't him she wanted, and he'd have to respect that. Jean was a complicated personality, but she had finally figured out what she wanted out of her life and it was no longer him._

**_If you are not mine would I have the strength to stand at all?  
_**

_Jean slumped to the floor, her back against the wall. She had tried so hard not to break down in front of Scott, but she finally had had enough of the facades of trying to make everyone believe she was strong. She just couldn't take it anymore._

**_I never know what the future brings _**

_She didn't know what it was inside her that was so desperately fighting to stay away from Scott. Maybe she was afraid that history would repeat itself._

**_But I know you are here with me now_**

_She loved Warren, she did, but when she was with Scott everything changed. She felt comfortable and safe._

**_We'll make it through_**

_But maybe deep down she doubted. A relationship takes so much more than love to work. And maybe she just didn't think they'd work through it._

**_And I hope you are the one I share my life with _**

_She had always wanted Scott to be the one. The one that she loved and the one that she spent her life with, but now she wasn't so sure. With all they had been through maybe it was time to just let that go._

**_I don't want to run away but I can't take it, I don't understand_**

_She didn't see it as running away from anything. She had accepted the fact that Warren would make her happy, she really felt that she loved him._

**_If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am?_**

_Jean was so confused. She loved Warren yes, but she knew deep in her heart that she could only love one man._

**_Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?_**

_But was that man Warren or Scott?_

**_If I don't need you then why am I crying on my bed? _**

_Completely exhausted of everything, she buried her head in her hands and in the solace of the darkened room, she finally allowed herself to cry._

**_If I don't need you then why does your name resound in my head?_**

_Scott just kept replying the last moments of their conversation in his head. He didn't understand it. He knew he had hurt Jean in the past and he didn't want to do it again. But he couldn't stop thinking about her._

**_If you're not for me then why does this distance maim my life?_**

_He walked to the kitchen and dug out a small velvet box from his pocket setting it on the table. He turned around the chair and sat on it, his front to the back of the chair, and rested his arms against the head of the chair._

**_If you're not for me then why do I dream of you as my wife?_**

_He opened the lid on the box and stared at the contents inside. He rested his chin against the back of the chair as he stared at the diamond ring._

_He had called her wife once. She had been his. He wanted that again. He wanted to be able to wake up besides her every morning, wrap his arms around her, and whisper in her ear, with a contented smile, "Good morning, Mrs. Summers."_

**_I don't know why you're so far away_**

_He had screwed up, majorly screwed up. He let her get away, he watched as she left his life forever and he allowed that to happen. He didn't want to make that mistake again, and apparently Jean didn't either. She was distancing herself as far from him as possible._

**_But I know that this much is true, We'll make it through _**

_There was still so much between them but even now he knew that something was still there, something still clicked inside him everytime she was around. As long as he was living, it wouldn't stop. He couldn't stop loving her._

_They could make it work again, it would take some hard work on his part, but they could do it again, he was so convinced. They could make it past this, they could make it through and come away stronger. He was convinced of that._

**_And I hope you are the one I share my life with, and I wish that you could be the one I die with_**

_Looking at the ring he had to wonder why he ever let her go. She was all he wanted. He wanted just to be with her, to be near her. It hurt when he thought that it wasn't just a dream, a fleeting hope. He had had her life, he had her dreams, her love, he had her. She was his wife. He had everything of her. He had all he had ever wanted._

**_And I pray in you're the one I build my home with_**

_Maybe one day they could have it back. Maybe on day they could get back what it had took only moments to devastate. They could have a marriage, Maybe even a family, they were still young, they could get it all back again. He wanted that, she wanted that…just not with him._

**_I hope I love you all my life_**

_She was the love of his life. He had made a promise to her on their wedding day, to love her forever. He still held true to that promise. Even if it's the only vow he kept._

**_I don't want to run away but I can't take it, I don't understand_**

_Everything in him wanted to fight back. He knew Jean loved him, so why not fight to make her see that? But just like her, he didn't need to fight, and he wouldn't. She had made her choice._

**_If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am? _**

_She couldn't see what he saw in the future. She couldn't believe that there was still hope for them. That they belonged together. She didn't see that. But he did. No matter how many times she convinced herself that she loved Warren, she would always love him, and maybe one day she'd realize that._

**_Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?_**

_He wished that things had turned out differently, that none of this would've happened. That he could wake up and just forget it all. He wished that he had been strong enough to hold onto her. He was now, but it was all too little, too late._

**_'Cause I miss you, body and soul so strong that it takes my breath away_**

_He frowned and stared at the ring. He remember vividly the day he had given it to her. In Ororo's Rose Garden. One of the best days of his life. He was so happy and she had been ecstatic. He sighed as the memory faded. He missed her so much already. He missed everything about her._

**_And I breathe you into my heart and pray for the strength to stand today_**

_By holding onto the ring, he was holding onto a part of Jean, a part of himself. He was holding onto a future that he so desperately wanted back._

**_'Cause I love you, whether it's wrong or right_**

_He had held onto the ring ever since the day she had thrown it at him, ever since she had left. He realized now that Kurt was right. Being married to Jean had meant something so deeply to him that he just couldn't let it go._

**_And though I can't be with you tonight _**

_But he would have to let it go, he would have to let everything go. He would have to let Jean go. He couldn't hold onto her, to a future that was never meant to be and never would be._

**_And know my heart is by your side _**

_Jean wanted to be happy, she wanted her life back. If she wanted to spend it with Warren than he would stay out of the way, he wouldn't interfere. For her sake and for her happiness he would have to sacrifice everything that had ever meant something to him._

* * *

"Hey Scott. Ve are almost ready to go. Ze flight has been delayed but by ze time ve get up zere, it should be ready to depart." Kurt said bamfing in.

He looked Scott over. "You don't look too good, mien fraud. Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine."

"Oh man, does zis have to do vith Jean?"

Scott nodded smugly. "She chose Warren."

"Varren? But can't she ze zet you love her?"

"She knows. But she made her choice. I don't want to interfere with that."

"But zis means you'd have to zacrifice everyzing zet you ever wanted."

"I know."

"So zis means you're gonna let her go?"

"I have to. She doesn't want to have anything to do with me."

"I zought za you veren't gonna let her go zis time."

"I wasn't. But I can't do anything about it. She's just protecting herself, Kurt. She doesn't want history to repeat itself."

"And you're just gonna let her go? Just like zat? You're gonna run away because she zays so."

"What other choice do I have?"

"You can fight, man!"

"No. No I can't. I've been fighting for way too long. Sooner or later I'll have to give up."

"The Scott I know vouldn't give up just like that."

"Well I than that you don't know me as well as you think you do."

Scott shut the lid on the small case and scooped the box up in his hand as he stooped up.

"Vill you be alright?"

Scott nodded. "I dunno, but eventually yeah."

"Vell everyvone is vaiting for us." Kurt offered.

"Bamf us out captain."

In a ring of dust and brimstone the two disappeared from the kitchen.

_--------------_

**_I don't want to run away but I can't take it, I don't understand_**

**_If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am_**

**_Is there any way that I could stay in your arms?_**

_---------------_

* * *

**Two Chapters to go! Is this the end of Jott? Hmmm...**

**I know this chap was a little different than the rest, but it's the only one like this honest! It's kinda like a songfic! But that was delibrite! I just heard this song one day on the radio and thought it would fit this fic almost perfectly. And it did, almost perfectly. I also found this song very sad in a sweet, sweet way. But that's just for me. **

**The words in BOLD and _italics_ is lyrics of the song; © 'If You're Not The One' by Artist Daniel Bedingfield.**

**Next Chap Jean finally chooses between Scott and Warren! With a little help from a friend. Which one will it be? Isn't it obvious? Well okay maybe it's not.**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**A TWIST OF FATE**

**Chapter Eleven**

"Jean is everything all right?" Jean looked up at the sound of Ororo's voice.

Ororo walked into the living room where Jean was already sitting on the couch.

"Are you alright?" She asked Jean as she examined her.

"No. I'm not." Jean answered bluntly.

Ororo took a seat next to Jean. "What's wrong? Anything I can be helpful with?"

"I don't know. About a thousand different things are _wrong_. I'm just feeling so confused right now."

Jean's right hand had been curled in a fist the entire time, Ororo glanced down and noticed her cut, lightly bleeding.

"That doesn't look good." She commented.

Jean rose her eyebrows and glanced at her palm. She had tied a wrap around it to suppress the bleeding.

"I kinda lost my temper." She explained as she opened her hand to let Ororo carefully finger over the wound.

She flinched as Ororo proceeded to untie the wrap.

"You know I used to be so good at controlling my emotions. Now everything is tumbling around me." She continued.

"It's not that bad Jean, everyone in sometime of their life has to go through something similar to what you are."

"Maybe similar but not the same."

Ororo looked over the wound. "I think you'll just need some iodine and antiseptic. And maybe a clean bandage."

She carefully let go of Jean's hand. "I'll be back in a moment."

Jean smiled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome Jean."

Ororo arrived shortly carrying a silver tray of first aid equipment. She set it down on the coffee table as she looked over Jean's hand.

"So do you care to explain what happened?"

"I would if I knew how too. But I don't think you can put into words what I'm feeling."

"Well maybe it'll help if you try."

Jean sighed. "This whole vacation all I've been doing is just rehashing all of my demons, I mean Rachel's death, Problems between Scott and I, and now I'm forced to have to rethink my future."

"You mean your marriage to Warren?" Ororo asked.

"Yes. But it's not just that. I mean I have to face my feelings. The thing is, I thought I had moved on, you know, moved past my last year here at the institute. But the truth was, I had only left everything behind, it didn't change anything. I mean I hadn't let go of my baby's death. I just realized that the reason why I wasn't letting her go is because I wanted to cushion myself. I built up all these barriers to make it easier to live with the impact of her death. I knew the blow would be hard, I anticipated it. But somewhere subconsciously I knew it would be too much for me to bare. So I cushioned myself in hopes that when I finally let her go, the pain would be so much easier to bear. But the pain is still there and after almost three years, I'm only _now_ finally realizing the reality of it. There's just this stone cold finality of death isn't there? It's something so _firm_ and _final_…I _had _a baby, I had _a baby_, Ororo…I—"

Jean struggled to finish but she was finding herself overwhelmed with tears. "I'm sorry." She managed to choke out, apologizing for letting her emotions show.

"Don't be. It's okay."

Jean wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I know, but- but I just keep thinking that _my baby_ is _gone_. I mean she's gone and there's no hope because-because she's not coming back. And it makes me so mad to just keep thinking of what was taken from me. I understand that she died and that she was never meant to live, I understand that, and somewhere inside me it gives me comfort. But I can't help but just keep thinking that I'll never see her again. I'll never be able to hold her hand again or to sing to her. I was there when she died, I _watched_ as my daughter died and could do _nothing_ about it. The pain that comes when you realize that with all the power you possess, you can't do anything, you can only wait for the inevitable to happen, it _hurts_. Her death left a hole in my heart and I can't help but feel it with anger and I don't want to, I don't want to."

Ororo sighed and let go of Jean's hand as she finished wrapping it.

"I don't know if I can comfort you here, Jean. I cannot understand the pain of losing a child. But to be so young as you were, to hold so many hopes and have them all shattered in one moment, I can hardly bear to imagine it. But you've been through it, all I can tell you is that I don't think anything you can say or do is going to get you past this. You'll never understand it completely. But you've _survived_ it, and I think you should take some consolation in that."

"But it's not just Rachel, it's not just her death. I was out in the gardens earlier, just talking to her, and Scott came out and we argued a little, we talked, he helped me realize that I was holding onto our daughter and so many other things. The truth is, what I thought my life _was_…it just i_sn't_. I just fooled myself in believing my life was something that it wasn't. I was lying to myself the whole time."

"Jean, pain and anguish can do so many different things to people."

"It's _destroyed_ my _life_, Ororo."

"That's not true. Jean, you have overcome so much already. You just have to help yourself to see that life is still worth living."

"But how can I do that when I just keep making my life more complicated?"

"I don't think it's that complicated."

"But you don't _know_ my life Ororo. My life in the city _isn't_ what it was here. It's _not_ that simple. I came here hoping for a vacation, hoping for a _release_. But what I got was a revelation of unrequited feelings. Feelings I thought long ago, dead. Now I don't know what to do. I love Warren and I _loved_ Scott, but my life isn't what it was when I had _loved_ him, I don't know how to go back to that."

"Do you want to go back to that?"

Jean shook her head. "I thought I didn't. I truly, with all my heart, want to marry Warren."

"If that's what you truly want, than I think you did the right thing."

"I don't know if I did. Tonight, I yelled at Scott. I tried desperately, but I was so angry. I couldn't control my temper. I don't know what happened. I just…I felt so many emotions that I didn't know existed, I didn't think I was capable of. I felt so much anger…so much hurt. I lashed out at him, …I felt fire in my veins….I had never felt that way before. I hurting so much from the pain that I just wanted someone to blame my hurt on. I made it clear to him that it was over, that things wouldn't be the same between us. I _denied_ it, I _denied_ my _feelings_ for him by saying they meant _nothing_. I knew he was hurt. But what I said wasn't true, I denied my feelings for him right in front of his face, when it's completely the opposite. My feelings for Scott are so _strong_, I can't be rid of them. It's overwhelming the love I feel for him, it runs in my blood. I don't know what to do…Everything is such a mess."

She sighed deeply but than continued talking.

"If I would have just stayed here years ago, things wouldn't be this way. It would all be normal. For all I know it might even hurt a lot less. I don't know why I just couldn't move on and love Warren instead of Scott. I keep asking myself why I can't. I still don't have an answer." She looked to the ground, distressed.

"Well, Jean, sometimes it's hard to put your feelings aside for someone."

"I know, I understand that. But why is it so hard for me to put my feelings aside for Scott and move on?"

"Maybe it was just meant to be this way. Maybe you can't put your feeling's aside, because you two belong together."

"I don't follow…"

Ororo tried to explain,

"It's quite possible that you never really loved Warren. Maybe subconsciously, you were trying so hard to run away from all that you were feeling that you forced yourself to love Warren. You wanted so badly to forget everything that happened to you because it had been a very traumatic experience. So you bottled up all the feelings you had towards Scott and unknowingly put them all on Warren. Scott was a constant reminder of all you had been through and all you had lost. So, in trying to escape that reality that you so desperately wanted to forget, you forced yourself to believe that all you felt for Scott, you felt for Warren."

She finished and Jean nodded. "I understand now. Maybe that's what I did, I don't know. What I _do_ know is that it hurts, it hurts so bad."

She turned her head toward her feet and stared at the ground, her hair falling across her face. Ororo placed her hand unto Jean's.

"Do you know what it is inside you that hurts so much? It's _love_, Jean. Love is the strongest force in the world and when you block it, it causes pain. It is during times like this that it seems the only way to be rid of the hurt and the pain is to kill the love, but by doing so, by killing the love, you kill a part of yourself."

"So what can I do to make it go away?" She questioned.

"I don't know Jean, I can't decide that for you. You came here thinking that you had put your past behind you, but as you said, you came here and were forced to face your demons. Your unresolved past was threatening your future and it took a lot of courage and strength to be able to do what you did."

"So if it's not my past that's hurting me so much what is it?"

"The only way to make the pain go away without losing yourself is to acknowledge your feelings and to act on them. Maybe it isn't love for Scott, but I think maybe your feelings for Scott are just strong enough, that even over time it still remains. Sometimes when you feel something so strongly, it won't ever go away."

"Okay, but if I'm doing what you say I'm doing. That would mean I'm hiding from my own feelings. Why would I do that?" She asked, doubtful.

"I can't say Jean. Maybe you were protecting yourself from your past. Maybe Scott was too much of a constant reminder of all you had to experience, of everything you had lost. Maybe you were just scared."

"Scared?" She asked raising her eyebrows in confusion.

Ororo nodded. "Mm-hm. Scared because you didn't want to lose him."

Jean bit her lip, her eyes still fallen to the floor. Ororo waited patiently as she thought that over for a moment.

Finally she looked up, and brushed away strands of her hair.

"You know, I think you're right. I really needed to hear that. Now I know what I have to do."

"I'm glad I could help you, Jean."

"You helped me more than you'll ever know. I still have issues with myself that I still have to work out, but at least now I know how I want to spend the rest of my life."

Jean's mood and expression changed as a thought ran through her head.

"Speaking of men, I still can't believe your dating Logan. Isn't he, oh I don't know, a little _ruff_?"

Ororo smiled; glad to be talking about pleasant subjects for a change.

"You know you might not believe this, but Logan has a sweet romantic side to him."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Although he lacks experience. But he tries hard. The other day he took me on a picnic, he packed the lunch all by himself, It consisted of beer and beef jerky."

Ororo smiled and Jean laughed.

"Sounds like Logan."

"Well then, after that," Ororo continued. "We took a motorcycle ride. I prefer flying, but biking isn't that bad."

"You know, I just can't picture you on a motorcycle, Ororo."

She shrugged. "Well if you think that's funny, than you haven't seen Logan in a penguin suit."

Jean chuckled. "Now _that_ is something I'd pay to see."

Ororo agreed with her. "Yeah. But he's trying."

"Sounds like you two are pretty serious. How does he feel?"

She shook her head. "I don't know, really. We don't talk about it. We're just friends…with benefits."

"So are you serious about him?" Jean asked.

Ororo nodded. "Yes, I really am. He makes me happy."

"Hey my Sunflower, I got somethin' for ya." Logan's gruff voice said as he walked into the room.

"Well speak of the devil." Ororo giggled.

"Hope you two ladies weren't talkin' too harshly 'bout me." He said as he stood behind Ororo.

"We wouldn't do that, would we, Jean?" Ororo asked playfully with a wink.

Jean shook her head.

Logan reached over the couch and handed Ororo a helmet.

"What is this for?" She asked curiously, looking to the helmet and back to him.

"Well I was on my way back from takin' a ride, and I passed by a _Harley-Davidson_ store and since ya enjoyed riden' so much the other day, I bought ya' yer own bike."

Ororo feigned a smile. "Oh, Logan, you didn't have to."

"Ah, it was nothin' darlin'. Just a gift fer ya.'"

"No. I mean you really, _really_ didn't have to." She said, staring at the helmet.

"Well what are ya waitin' for? Come on let's go try it out." Logan said trying to rush her out the door.

Ororo flashed Jean a weak smile before heading out the door.

"Have fun." Jean said quietly as she giggled. Poor Ororo.

* * *

"There you are." Warren walked into the livingroom.

Jean hadn't heard him caught up in her thoughts.

"Jean?" He repeated.

She looked up but still somewhat distracted. "Hi…Warren."

"Yeah, the weather has been cleared to fly, so the pilot's fueling up the jet. So uh, it should be ready to fly within the hour."

"Okay." She nodded but her thoughts were still elsewhere.

Warren slid his hands in his pockets, something obviously bothering him.

"Jean, can we-I have to talk to you." He said sitting down next to her.

"What is it? What's on your mind?" She asked, concerned.

"Well I've been thinking…I've been thinking _alot_."

She nodded. So had she.

"And I can't help but come to the conclusion that I think you're holding out on me."

She frowned. "Holding out on you how?"

"I think you know. I mean I've had a great time this weekend, but I can't help but feel that you're not totally with me."

"What do you mean?"

"I know that you keep telling me that nothing has or is going on between you and Scott. And I have no reason to not believe you. But I've just been picking up on little things that tell me otherwise. I mean I know you and Scott haven't gotten along very well this week, but when I see you two together, I feel like I'm an intruder on two people's romantic getaway, because that's just the way it feel to me. And it's not your fault, You can't help it. But all the chemistry between you two is still there. I can notice it."

"Look, I'm sorry you feel that way Warren, but I can't help that. I mean Scott and I-"

"-You don't have to explain anything Jean. But you didn't see the way he looked at you. I mean no one can see his eyes, but his face says it _all. _When your back is turned, he's watching you, you _fascinate_ him, Jean. It's not just that, it's also so much _more _than that."

"Wait, Warren, what are you saying?"

"Look, I've just been thinking over a lot of things, things that I've heard from Logan and things I've been able to see with my own eyes. And I trust you, I do, and I have no reason to doubt you, but I think that you don't completely see it, you don't know the extent of your feelings. I mean, you've told me you have nothing going on with Scott, and I trust that. But I think that _you_ don't trust that. What I'm trying to say is that maybe we're doing something wrong here."

"You mean by getting married?" She quizzed.

He nodded. "Yes by getting married. Don't misunderstand me, I love you more than anything. But I can't marry you knowing that you love Scott. I can't compete with those feelings. I don't want to know that your love for me won't always be true. If we were to get married you wouldn't be truly happy. And I don't want to be that person that was holding you back, that was keeping you from true happiness. This was a hard decision for me to make, and _believe_ me, I didn't want to make it. But I think this is a mistake and we should end it know before it goes any further. It just can't happen. I'm sorry Jean, but this is how I feel it needs to be."

Jean was shocked, she hadn't been expecting for him to _breakup_ with her.

"I know, I was thinking that too. I don't think that this is meant to be. I'm sorry for not being completely honest with you. Maybe if I had told you about my feelings for Scott earlier, we could have avoided all this. But the truth is I was hurting myself because I didn't know how I felt."

"Yeah, I understand that." Warren said. "I love you and I want you to be happy. And you're happy here with Scott and I stand behind that all the way. I mean I know you and Scott have so many things to work through, but if we do this, than I'm just one less obstacle in your way."

She shook her head, disagreeing. "No, Warren you were never in my way. In fact I forced myself into believing that you are what I wanted. And I'm not saying I don't. I mean if it had been under any different circumstances, than who knows? I'm sure something would have happened between us. But I realize now, that what Scott and I have is something that even I can't fight. I mean it's not what I thought it was, it's so much more than that."

"I know, Logan told me. I just felt that this was something that I couldn't mess with. I know you love me, I truly believe that. But the truth is you love me as much as you're _capable_ of loving me. You're _in_ _love _with Scott. You'll _always_ love him, and as much as you convinced yourself that you did, you never _stopped_ loving him."

Jean just shook her head absorbing everything he had said, he truly _did_ understand. "Warren you are such an incredible man, an amazing friend, I wish so bad that you would have gotten what you wanted."

She kissed him softly on the lips. "But I know deep in my heart that you will, one day, and when you find that special someone you're gonna need this."

She took off her ring and placed it in Warren's hand, folding his fingers around it.

"I don't know what else to say, except I know this was hard for you. It's not easy letting go, believe me I realize that. And the fact that you're doing this for my happiness is more than I can ever thank you for."

He shrugged. "You don't have to thank me. Deep down in my gut I knew it all along. And I finally realized with everything going on, that I couldn't keep stringing you into a life that you neither want nor will be happy with. I just want you to be happy, that's all the satisfaction I need."

"I don't want this to come between us Warren. I really value our friendship."

"So do I, Jean."

Jean softly embraced him in a hug. Warren hugged her back.

He glanced to the clock, "Hey, don't you have somewhere to be?"

Jean looked at her watch. "Oh yeah, I gotta go!"

"You should get there just in time to watch the plane fly off. You better hurry." Warren said.

"Thank you Warren. Thank you so much." Jean briefly hugged him again.

He watched as she quickly left the room.

"Ya know, you did a brave thing kid." Warren turned at the sound of Logan's voice.

He had walked in the room just as Jean had ran out.

"You heard all that?" Warren asked his gaze still fixated on the hallway where Jean had been.

"Nope, didn't need ta. I know what ya did."

Warren turned to look at him. "I guess I have you to thank, I mean I was ready to walk into a big mistake."

"It takes a helluva brave kid ta do what ya did."

"If I was so brave than why do I feel like a coward for backing out on it?" He asked.

"It's never easy ta let go. But ya did the right thing."

"I know, I did. I just wish I could feel more satisfied." Warren said as he quietly walked out of the room.

* * *

"Hey man vake up zey're boarding our plane." Kurt shrugged Scott on his shoulder.

"Huh?" He groused as Kurt roused him from his state of light sleep.

"C'mon our plane is boarding." The fuzzy elf repeated.

"Oh right, right." He said getting up from his seat.

"Mahn! It's about time! I was getting' cramps just sittin' on those cheap plastic things they call chairs." Rogue complained smoothing out her pants.

"Don't worry petite, Remy will keep you comfortable the whole way to Hawaii."

"Yay. See mah expression," Rogue said turning to him. "Ah can hardly hide mah enthusiasm."

"Like cheer up Rogue, we're flying first class the whole way there."

"Ja, at de Professor's account. Man is he gonna be sorry vhen his bank account's viped clean." Kurt chuckled. "I can't vait to spend ze vest of vacation in Havaii!"

Scott followed the others as they talked about how they'd spend the rest of the vacation sunbathing on the beach.

He slung his suitcase over his shoulder and slid his right hand in his pocket. He was caught by surprise, he had totally forgotten about the ring he still carried with him.

He fingered the case and pulled it out. He glanced at it as he twirled it around in his hand before opening the lid.

It was beautiful the way it sparkled and shone, as it caught the light's rays. It had been so perfect for Jean.

He shielded the case with his hand as they walked out the double doors and into the rain.

"Prepare to get vet!" Kurt shouted as Kitty, Rogue and Remy ran to get in the plane.

Scott was about to pocket the small case and board the plane, when he heard a woman yelling behind him.

"Scott!" Jean shouted as she caught him on the plane's landing steps.

He turned around surprised to hear his name. "Jean?" He asked himself softly.

"Wait…" He shouted as he shoved passed the attendant who was trying to close the plane door behind him.

"Sir…please take your seat we'll be lifting off in less than a minute." She commanded.

"Wait okay? Just hold the plane." He suggested.

"Sir…please take a seat the plane has been delayed long enough."

"Please it'll only take a second." He pleaded.

"Sir you're letting the rain in-

"- Just give me a minute…" He shouted as he pushed passed her and ran down the steps onto the rainy runway.

* * *

"What's he doin'? Is he crazy?" Rouge asked crowding the window near Kitty, Remy and Kurt. Most of the passengers were looking out their windows trying to get a glimpse at the man who was trying to delay the plane further.

"It's Jean." Kitty replied staring out the window.

"Ja it is. Vell I zink it is. It's hard to tell vith zis veather."

"Of course it's her Kurt, who else could have that bright of hair?" Rouge asked as the three took a second to look at her, than quickly returned to watching out the window.

* * *

"Scott…I'm glad I caught you." Jean shouted gasping for breath.

"Jean what's the matter, the plane's about to take off!"

Scott said motioning to the aircraft behind him a little angrily. He had fisted his right hand shielding the ring case from plain view.

"Is there an emergency at the mansion or something, I'm sure Xavier would have called me--"

She shook her head. "No it's nothing like that."

He frowned, "Than what is it?"

"We need to talk." She answered.

He shook his head in disbelief. "_Now?_ Jean this is not the time, besides haven't we talked enough? I mean after our last encounter are you sure it's _safe_?"

Jean could tell he was irritated and just disregarded his last comment.

"I'm sorry about that Scott I really am." She apologized for her earlier behavior.

"Well it did more damage to you than it did to me!" He shouted as he stopped walking towards her, leaving them about a foot apart.

"Look, Scott I've done some thinking…"

"What else is new?" He answered dryly.

"Would you please just listen to me for a moment?" She said, tired of his remarks.

"Whatever you have to say…say it fast… I don't have that much time."

"I know…I know…But I _am_ here to tell you something."

"It can't wait?" He asked, not thinking of it as important. The last he heard, she was running off into the sunset with Warren, there was no place for him there.

"No. It can't." She said firmly.

"Look Jean…what was said was said. Let's leave it at that. I'm out of your life now…and your future."

"That's what I came to talk to you about."

Scott shook his head and swayed to the side. "Oh, lemme guess…you and Warren _eloped_…am I right?"

"Please don't be this way, Scott. That's not it."

"Than what is it?"

"If you'd quite talking and just let me tell you…"

Jean paused as Scott folded his arms and stood still. She caught his looking glance as he said quietly,

"Go ahead."

"Look…Warren and I…we're not together anymore."

Scott chuckled within himself. "He heard about us…huh? That night?"

She shook her head. "No…it wasn't him…it was me." Jean sighed before continuing.

She had to shout over the sound of the plane's engines blaring and the rain pounding on the ground, not to mention the few feet that separated them.

"Look…even after we talked…_before_ you left…something didn't feel right. I did some thinking…I talked to Ororo and… I realized that I wasn't really happy with the way I had left things in my life."

Scott sighed and rolled his eyes behind his glasses, this wasn't something he didn't already know.

"Look Jean…is there a point to all this?"

"Just let me finish."

Scott held up his palm and motioned for her to stop speaking. He couldn't hear anymore of what she was saying.

"Alright…look…don't you think this is hard enough on me already? I gotta go…" He said turning and starting to walk back towards the plane.

"Scott please—Please don't walk away." She wasn't getting through to him.

He stopped forcefully and turned to her. "Why _shouldn't_ I walk away? What is _wrong_ with that? You did _it_. You walked away from our _entire_ life. You walked away from your past, from your future, from _our marriage_, from _me!_ How _can_ you tell me _not_ to walk away, how can you _tell_ me _that_!"

"I'm sorry." She said feebly, but she was sure he didn't hear her.

"I'm out of your life, Jean!" He continued, "_You're_ out of my life! We have _no_ future together! _That's_ what you _wanted_…that's what you _got_!" He shouted.

"But that's not what I want! It's not what I _want_! That's what I'm _trying _to tell you!"

Scott shook his head in disbelief, and turned his back to her.

He walked to the plane and Jean watched as he threw something onto the wet ground.

"Scott, _please_! Don't just turn and walk away…Don't just walk away!" She shouted after him.

If he heard her he was being ignorant.

She walked the few paces it took to examine the item on the ground.

She knew exactly what it was for only the second it took for her to glance at it. She had seen it many times before. She picked it up and fisted her right hand tucking the case in place and away from the rain.

"You were right…I _am_ running away." She shouted to him after stepping up from the ground. She didn't care who heard them.

She was tugging at her last hope of getting his attention. He must've heard her because he stopped dead in his tracks and turned around.

She took this as her invitation to continue,

"But it's not because I want to forget you…or our past…or anything like that. The truth is… I'm scared."

She noticed Scott tilt his head in curiosity at what she was saying. He stayed still so she took the opportunity to walk closer to him so she wouldn't have to shout as much. Her voice became lower as she neared him.

"I'm frightened of becoming close to you again. After what happened to us, I'm afraid that I'll get close to you and I'll lose you…not like before…but that I'll lose you _forever_, that I'll lose you the way we lost our baby."

She struggled to find the words she was feeling.

"I'm _afraid_ to _love_ you. I don't want to love you to just to turn around and lose you. I mean I _loved _our daughter _so much_…and I lost her too soon…And _damn it_! It _hurt_ so _bad_…it was _so_ painful. I don't _want_ to feel like that again…to hurt in _that_ way…to be in that much pain. And I know that—I know that the _only_ blow I _cannot bear_ would be if I ever lost _you._ And I think if I keep my distance it won't hurt so much when the day comes that I _do_ lose you…and I _do _have to feel that pain. I _want_ to be with you…but I'm afraid of the pain loving you will bring."

Jean finished and waited for his reply.

She analyzed his composure. She could see her reflection on the lenses of his rain smudged glasses. She looked away as lines of rain poured down his lenses washing it away.

Scott ran a hand through the wet bangs that stuck to his forehead and pulled them back just to have them fall loosely to the front again.

He turned his gaze to look at her.

She could sense his gaze locked upon her face even though she couldn't see his eyes. Time seemed to slow down for her as she waited for his reply. Finally he spoke up.

"So…what are you saying?" She knew Scott believed everything she said but was still a little doubtful.

"I told Warren how I felt…and he understood…he _let me_ _go_. Something that I couldn't do to you."

He believed her than, and something inside of him broke.

"Jean…I don't want this to be the end. I know that I screwed things up before… But you can't say that I'm a man who cannot learn or that I'm a man who cannot change. Because I _can_…I _will_, whatever you want. I believe in destiny, and I believe with all my heart and all my soul, that it's _our_ destiny, yours and mine, to be together."

Jean looked at him as tears rolled from her eyes and she says in a small voice,

"So do I."

He looked stunned and overwhelmed; "Say that again?"

Her face bore a smile as she wipes away tears. "_I love you_… I have _always_ loved you, and I _always will_."

She unveiled the velvet case from her hand. She opened the lid exposing the diamond tucked safely away inside.

"I think you dropped this." She said sniffling, a short smile creeping it's way onto her tear-ridden face.

Scott's eyes fixated on the diamond and than turned up to look at Jean. He swallowed hard as he tried to suppress his emotions.

"There's nothing more I want in this world, than to be married to you. Than to marry you _again_." She corrected.

"Does this mean you're… you're…saying _yes_?" He managed to choke out.

Jean smiled and nodded as she pulled out the ring and handed it to him. With a shaky hand he placed it on her finger.

She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Oh yes, yes, yes…" She said repeatedly kissing him on the lips after each yes.

* * *

**Hope that was as satisfying an ending to you Jott luvrs, as it was for me. I just felt so satisfied and relieved to write it! **

**The way I see Warren, is I didn't want to make him look like one of those 'totally in love with the girl, but totally oblivious to her feelings', type. So in other words, I think Warren is smart and the way I see him is, that because of his talk with Logan, he realizes that Jean is still in love with Scott. Even if she doesn't realize it. I also wanted to hint in places that Warren realized Jean's feelings before she did, and he kept in mind full well her history and _he_ began to have doubts about it. I mean unlike those prototypes I described earlier, I think he would pick up on that. Because that's the kinda person I see him to be. **

**Plus it wouldn't feel right to me to have Jean realize her feelings for Scott and than tell Warren and break everything off with him. That just seems to cliché to me and I think Warren as a character in this story, deserves better. So I hope he came across to you, as the guy I tried to make him out to be. The strong one, the guy who's strong and brave enough to let the girl he loves, go. **

**As much as I like Jean/Warren, Warren's only a second place to Scott. Cause everyone knows when it comes to S/J 's relationships Jott rules! And _always_ will!**

**Anyway I promiseyou Warren will get his well deserved happy ending! So tune in for the Epilouge. So click once more and see how it all _ends_!**


	12. Epilogue

**A TWIST OF FATE**

**Epilogue**

"I am so glad you decided to stay, Jean." Scott said as he lied down on the sand next to her.

"I'm so glad I decided to come to Hawaii. It's so nice down here." She said as she cuddled up next to him.

"Yeah, unfortunately we only have a day left, Until you have to go back to the city."

"About that…" She started, turning to look him in the eyes. "I've decided, with a little help from the Professor, to finish my college courses while living at the mansion."

"Wow, Jean, You don't know how much it relives me to know that you're not leaving."

She shook her head. "No. I'm gonna move back. I just want to be with you Scott, recapture what we had. That's all I want."

"Do you know how good that sounds to me?"

Jean crawled up to him so their faces met mere inches apart. "I hope it sounds _perfect_."

"Yeah, _that's _what I was thinking…_perfect_." He repeated as she lowered down to kiss him.

* * *

"Like I just don't get them. Where do they think they get off making out in a public place!" Kitty complained with disgust, hands on her hips.

"I hate to tell you zis Keety but _everyvone_ makes out on ze beach." Kurt said.

"Like, _whatever_. I'm just happy Jean has finally untangled her complicated life."

"Ja, and I'm just zankful she did it _vithout_ your help."

Kitty looked back to Scott and Jean who were still kissing. "Eeww, like, they really need to get a room for _that_."

"Zey _have_ a room, Keety." Kurt corrected. "And anyvay ve should be zankful zat zat's all zey are doing."

"Oh, really? You think that's _all _they're doing?" She questioned with a raise of her eyebrow and a nod towards Scott and Jean.

"Ah, zat's _all_ I _vant_ to zink zey're doing!" He exclaimed Kitty's implication grossing him out.

She crossed her arms. "Kurt, they were _married_ once. Unlike before, they don't have to _wait_ for anything."

Kurt shook his head, fighting away the thoughts. "Somebody help me and drill zese images out of my head." He said, distressed.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, Calm down, Kurt."

"_Calm down_?" He repeated. "Do you have any idea of _vhat_ you just _put_ in my head? Zese are images that'll never go _avay_, zanks to you, zey're _scarring_."

She sighed and ignored him as she looked around the beach.

"Like, have you seen our Cajun buddy and Rogue?"

He shook his head. "Nein. But I wouldn't be surprised if we find him terrorizing Rouge."

They looked around the beach a while longer before Kurt suggested, "So vhat do you say you and I do a little surfing Keety?"

Kitty took a sip of her lemonade. "Like no way. Do you know how many _sharks_ are in the ocean?"

"Aw c'mon you're just chicken. _Cheekin, cheekin, cheekin…_" Kurt repeated, taunting her.

"So what if I am?"

"Vell-" Kurt frowned thinking of something to say.

"Like where have you been?" Kitty asked quizzically as Rogue came running onto the beach laughing.

Kitty looked around. "Where's Remy?"

"He just got a taste of his own medicine."

"Vhat did you _do_?" Kurt asked.

As if answering his question Remy ran unto the beach.

"Dat woman a keeper." He smirked pointing his thumb to Rogue.

Kurt looked Remy up and down. His clothes were tattered and he was a little worse for wear.

"Vhat happened to you?"

"_Love_." Remy smiled sweetly at Rogue.

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Aw _Mahn_! Ah cannot believe this! One _kiss_ and the guy goes tothattly whacked!"

Kitty glanced at Kurt and raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Like, you _kissed_ him?" She asked Rouge.

Rouge threw up her hands. "Ah'm gonna go get an Ice tea from the beach stand."

"Remy will keep you company petite." He shouted after her.

"_Of course_ you will!" Rogue shouted back at him, already walking towards the dock.

Kitty turned to Kurt again and shrugged. "Hey like at least somebody's vacation is turning out for the better." She sighed glancing at Scott and Jean.

* * *

"Mmmm…" Jean sighed as they parted.

"I want to spend a whole lifetime doing this." She said as she kissed him again.

"You know," Scott gasped. "We could always take this up to our hotel room."

Jean glanced at him mischievously. "What about Alex?"

"What about him? He won the championship."

"Yeah but there's still that victory dinner to go to tonight."

"That's _dinner._ We'll still have time to make it."

"Or we could just stay right here, on the beach." She said sensuously.

"Yeah but what about all the people?" He questioned.

"I don't see anyone else but you." She kissed him briefly; "I love you." She said quietly once they'd parted.

He held her face in his hands as he looked deep in her eyes. "I love you too Jean. And I'm gonna spend a whole lifetime showing it to you."

Scott entwined his fingers in hers as they kissed again.

* * *

Warren sighed as he waited in line at the airport. He had decided to take a break from his company and New York. He needed to get out and figure out what he wanted in his life.

He heard his plane called and checked his ticket. He folded up the newspaper and got in the boarding line.

He waited patiently his eyes glancing here and there.

"Excuse me." A young woman said as she accidentally brushed up against him.

Warren turned looking to his right, where the woman was picking up her things that she had dropped.

"Hey let me help you with those." He said stooping down to help her pick up her luggage.

"I'm just so clumsy." She said pulling a strand of purple hair away from her eyes.

"That's not your natural color is it?" He asked as they stood up.

She smiled shyly at the question. "I'm a natural brunette. I just like it this way." She said curling a strand of hair around her finger.

"Well it looks good on you." He complimented.

"Thanks." She blushed.

Hearing her voice, Warren got the impression she was British.

"That's a British accent right?" He asked, almost _sure_ of it.

"Born and raised in England. That's where I'm headed. I'm going back to catch up with my folks."

"It must be nice being able to jet off whenever you want to go visit your family." He said.

"Whenever I get the time yeah. Oh I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself. I'm Elizabeth Braddock." She said and held out her hand to him. He shook it.

"Oh well I'm--" He started to reply and introduce himself.

"You're Warren Worthington the Third." She answered.

"Yeah." He nodded. "How'd you know?"

"It's not hard to miss your photo in the papers."

"Yeah. Well I guess _Worthington Industries _does get a lot of publicity, huh? You know I think I've heard the name Braddock before. Is there a chance at all that I might know your father?"

"It's more likely that you know my brother, Brian."

"Yeah, Brian Braddock, I think I met him once. On one of my business trips."

"It's more than likely."

"If my memory serves me right, He works in law enforcement."

"Well I guess you could say that. He works in a _division_ of law enforcement. He's the captain of his own team."

"Yeah I think I remember him."

"So where are you headed off to?" She asked.

Warren shrugged. "I don't care. Anywhere. It doesn't really matter to me."

"You on a life altering trip?"

"Nah, I'm just trying to figure out where my life is going. What I want in it."

"I see. You just broke up with the love of your life or something like that didn't you?"

"You could say that. I let her go because I realized she didn't truly love me, that she was still in love with her first love, her first husband, her first _everything_ actually." He corrected.

"Yeah those first loves are always hard to get over."

"Sure are." He replied softly.

"Well do you mind if I tag along? That is, if you don't mind accompanying me to England. I could really use the company."

Warren smiled for the first time in hours. "You know what? I'd really like that. It sounds fun."

Elizabeth smiled. "Believe me Mr. Worthington it's more fun than it sounds."

"Please call me Warren."

"Alright Warren, you can call me Betsy."

"Betsy?"

"I was never to keen on Elizabeth. Betsy's my childhood nickname and I prefer it."

"Alright, Betsy. I think I'd like to get to know you a little better." He said.

"You will, if we could ever get through this line."

Warren glanced at her.

"You know what? I have my own private Jet all fueled up and ready to go. What do you say we fly that up to England?"

"It sure beats the hell out of waiting in line. Although I've never flown in a private jet before."

"Oh trust me it's a lot more fun than it seems." Warren said taking her luggage for her.

"Since you're getting over a breakup I'll try make you feel any better. I know a few good jokes." Betsy said following him out of the airport.

"If it's any consolation. You kinda already have."

* * *

**Yay! Last Chapter! It's completed! I sure hope youliked it all! **

**See I told ya Warren would get his happy ending! Didn't I? You bet I promised! Oh and all u spin-off fans can wait a while longer, I have no plans as of present to continue on the Psylocke/Warren story. It's not because I don't like them as a couple or separately I do, they're perfect together! I just have no plans to continue as of late. But maybe some day. **

**I do however have plans to write another Jott fic, in fact I'm in the middle of it right now, but I'vecaught a lack of musefor it lately, which is why I've come back to revise this. The Jott fic I am currently working on, will focus on their early relationship and hopefully continue on to marriage, but I dunno all the fine print yet, I've only begun it, and I've decided that it will have a sequal so eveyrthing's still kinda in the drafting process right now. **

**Anyway I'm satisfied with this fic, I sure hopeyou are too!**

**So _please_ review! Leave your comments! Let me know! Well leave your thoughts, I'll be off working on that Jott/LoRo/Romy project of mine...**

**----PhoenixPhreak----**


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